A KTX-Eum train. [Korail]
A KTX-Eum train. [Korail]

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday it will cut examination fees by 50 percent for people with two or more minor children who apply for a railway vehicle operator's license or a railway traffic controller certification, as part of its response to the country's low birth rate and aging population. People in the near-poverty bracket under the National Basic Living Security Act will also receive a 50 percent reduction on operator's license exam fees.

To implement the changes, the ministry revised its guidelines for both the railway vehicle operator's license examination and the railway traffic controller certification examination. The previous guidelines limited fee reductions to recipients of basic livelihood benefits and single-parent family support. The revisions expand eligibility to include people with two or more minor children and those in the near-poverty bracket.

Eligible applicants will receive 50 percent reductions on written and practical exam fees for both the railway vehicle operator's license and the railway traffic controller certification. The discounts will take effect starting with the seventh regular railway vehicle operator's license examination, scheduled for October.

Under the new rates, the written exam fee for the operator's license will drop from 77,000 won ($56) to 38,500 won, while the practical exam fee will fall from the 220,000–253,000 won range to 110,000–126,500 won. For the controller certification, the written exam fee will decrease from 77,000 won to 38,500 won, and the practical exam fee from 206,500 won to 103,250 won.

To apply for the reduction, candidates must submit a fee-reduction application form along with supporting documents proving their eligibility to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority after registering for the exam.

"We hope this fee reduction will ease, even if only slightly, the financial burden on multi-child families and near-poverty households seeking to obtain railway operator and controller qualifications," said Jo Seong-gyun, the ministry's railway safety policy director. "We will continue to push forward with policies needed to secure skilled professionals in the railway sector and support qualification attainment."


hss@heraldcorp.com