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K-Pass adds a flat-rate 'Modu Card' — from January 2026 the system picks whichever refund is larger

In effectTakes effect: 2026-01-01
EveryoneWorkersForeign residentsNew citizens & PR holdersFamilies

Under a reform announced on 15 December 2025 by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Transport Commission, K-Pass gained a flat-rate refund option called the Modu Card in January 2026. Each month the system automatically applies whichever of the two methods — percentage refund or flat-rate refund — returns more. A senior category for ages 65 and over was added at a 30% refund rate, and from 1 April to 30 September 2026 the flat-rate thresholds are temporarily halved.

What changes

K-Pass previously offered only a percentage refund on what you spent. From January 2026 a flat-rate method, the Modu Card, sits alongside it. The flat-rate method sets a monthly threshold and refunds in full everything you spend on public transport above it. You do not choose in advance: after the month closes, the K-Pass system totals your spending and automatically applies whichever method pays more. No new card is needed — keep using the K-Pass card you already have.

The flat-rate option splits into a standard type and a plus type. The standard type covers journeys costing under 3,000 won per ride including transfers; the plus type covers every mode K-Pass works with, including village buses and the GTX. As announced in January 2026, the thresholds are 62,000 won (standard) and 100,000 won (plus) for a general user in the capital region, 55,000 won and 95,000 won for a general user in the ordinary provincial tier, and 55,000 won and 90,000 won for a young adult in the capital region. Regions with thinner transport infrastructure get lower thresholds. The same reform created a senior category for ages 65 and over, raising their refund rate from 20% to 30%, and added eight local governments — Goseong, Yanggu and Jeongseon in Gangwon, Gangjin, Yeongam and Boseong in South Jeolla, and Yeongyang and Yecheon in North Gyeongsang — bringing participation to 218.

A temporary boost runs on top of this from 1 April to 30 September 2026. To respond to high fuel prices and ease commuting congestion, the flat-rate thresholds were halved. In the capital region a general user's thresholds become 30,000 won (standard) and 50,000 won (plus); young adults, two-child households and seniors get 25,000 won and 45,000 won; households with three or more children and low-income households get 22,000 won and 40,000 won. During the same period, boarding in one of four off-peak windows — 05:30–06:30, 09:00–10:00, 16:00–17:00 and 19:00–20:00 — raises the percentage refund by 30 percentage points, to 50% for general users, 60% for young adults, two-child households and seniors, 80% for three-or-more-child households and 83.3% for low-income households.

Who this applies to

  • Anyone aged 19 or over with a registered address in a participating local government. As of 2026 there are 218 participants, and Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi are covered in full.
  • Foreign nationals can use it. At sign-up you enter a foreign resident registration number instead of a resident registration number, then complete identity verification and address validation. The conditions — 19 or over, address registered in a participating locality — are the same as for Korean nationals.
  • The real beneficiaries are people who take a bus or subway at least 15 times a month for commuting or school. Only in your first month is a refund paid for fewer than 15 rides.
  • Refund rates vary by category. Young adults aged 19–34, seniors aged 65 and over, households with two or more minor children, and low-income households on basic livelihood or near-poverty support all receive more than the general rate.
  • Office workers who can shift their hours. During the temporary period, simply travelling in an off-peak window lifts the refund rate substantially, which suits anyone on a flexible working arrangement.

What to do now

  1. 1If you do not use K-Pass yet, get a K-Pass card from one of the participating card issuers, then sign up at korea-pass.kr or in the app and register the card number.
  2. 2If you already use K-Pass, there is nothing to do. The flat-rate calculation is applied alongside your existing card automatically.
  3. 3Check in the app that your category — young adult, senior, multi-child, low-income — is registered correctly. A wrong category means a lower refund rate.
  4. 4During the temporary period through 30 September 2026, deliberately use the off-peak windows: 05:30–06:30, 09:00–10:00, 16:00–17:00 and 19:00–20:00 each add 30 percentage points to your refund rate.
  5. 5Update your address if you move. Address validation against a participating locality is the basis of eligibility, so a stale address can cut your refunds off.

Commonly misunderstood

  • Holding the card is not enough. You must sign up on the website or app and register the card number, and even if you hold several cards only one can be registered.
  • Not every mode qualifies. City and village buses, the subway, the Shinbundang Line, wide-area buses and the GTX are covered; intercity and express buses, KTX and SRT, which require a separate ticket, are not.
  • Apart from your first month, you need at least 15 rides in a month to get anything. Stop at 14 and that month pays zero.
  • The temporary boost applies to usage through 30 September 2026. Thresholds return to normal in October, so do not assume a September refund figure will repeat.
  • Whether a locally run transit card can be combined with K-Pass varies by region. If you hold both, check in the app which one leaves you better off.

Official sources

The links below are official government publications. This page summarises them; always check the original before filing or applying.

Verified on: 2026-08-29

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K-Pass adds a flat-rate 'Modu Card' — from January 2026 the system picks whichever refund is larger