Ministry of Health and Welfare proposes amendment to Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act enforcement decree

A wheelchair lift for trains [Korail]
A wheelchair lift for trains [Korail]

The government is moving to extend rail fare discounts for people with mild disabilities to weekends.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday pre-announced a proposed amendment to the enforcement decree of the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act, with a public comment period running through Dec. 9.

Under the current rules, people with severe disabilities receive a 50 percent discount on Mugunghwa, Saemaul and KTX standard fares, while those with mild disabilities receive a 50 percent discount on Mugunghwa trains and a 30 percent discount on Saemaul and KTX trains — but only on weekdays, excluding Saturdays and public holidays.

The proposed amendment would extend the 30 percent discount for people with mild disabilities to Saturdays and public holidays as well, easing the financial burden of rail travel and improving mobility for people with disabilities.

The amendment also brings ITX-Maeum trains into the discount scheme for the first time. The ITX-Maeum has been deployed to replace aging Mugunghwa rolling stock but had not previously been eligible for disability fare discounts. Under the proposal, people with severe disabilities would receive a 50 percent discount and those with mild disabilities a 30 percent discount on ITX-Maeum fares, in line with the rates applied to Saemaul trains.

A ministry official explained the rationale for setting the ITX-Maeum discount at 30 percent. "The ITX-Maeum is replacing the Mugunghwa, but the train itself is equivalent to the Saemaul class, so we pre-announced the discount rate at 30 percent," the official said. "We also expanded the Saemaul discount — which had not previously applied on weekends — to Saturdays and public holidays, with the aim of reducing the fare burden."

Organizations, groups or individuals wishing to submit comments on the proposed amendment may do so online through the National Participation in Legislation Center or by sending written comments to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Disability Policy Division by Dec. 9.


thlee@heraldcorp.com