A majority of Seoul residents support raising the minimum age for senior citizens’ free subway rides from the current 65 years. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 6 (Korea Bizwire) — A majority of Seoul residents support raising the minimum age for senior citizens’ free subway rides from the current 65 years, with most favoring 70 as the new threshold, according to a survey released on March 5.
The findings were presented at a public forum on elderly transportation benefits hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Committee. The survey, conducted last December, gathered responses from 1,144 adult Seoul residents across different age groups.
The poll revealed that 64% of respondents favor increasing the age requirement, while 17% oppose the change and 19% are undecided. Among supporters, 76% suggested 70 as the appropriate age for free rides.
The current beneficiaries make up about 24.7% of the survey respondents, with non-beneficiaries accounting for 75.3%. The age distribution of participants ranged from those in their 20s to those over 80, with the largest group being in their 50s at 18.4%.
Those supporting the age increase cited several reasons: an increased burden on future generations (39%), changing social perceptions about aging (37%), and regional inequality between elderly residents in cities with and without subway systems (24%).
“The majority of respondents agreed on the need to adjust the age criteria to reflect our aging society, where people commonly live past 100,” said council member Yun Young-hee, who presented the survey results. “A gradual increase to age 70 could help minimize social conflict.”
However, the proposal faces opposition from senior advocacy groups. “Subway deficits aren’t caused by free rides for the elderly,” said Lim Se-kyu, executive director of the Seoul Senior Citizens Association. He urged the city to wait for broader social discussions on retirement age extension and pension reform before making any changes.
The financial impact of the current policy is significant. The Seoul Metro reported that free rides account for about 17% of daily passengers, or 7.51 million rides per day, resulting in annual losses of approximately 400 billion won.
“Growing losses without proper funding sources lead to structural deficits, potentially compromising safety investments,” warned Lee Eun-gi, director of management support at Seoul Metro.
Park Ju-seon, head of Seoul’s Urban Railroad Division, emphasized that mobility rights carry various socioeconomic values and called for national government support. “Public transportation access should be considered a basic service requiring federal funding,” he said.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
