Transit Cards, Climate Card and Moduui Card (K-Pass)

At a glance

• Tap your transit card on the reader both when you board and when you get off to receive transfer benefits (Seoul Metro fare guide).
• The basic Seoul subway fare (transit card, within 10km) is 1,550 won for adults.
• The Climate Card is a flat-rate unlimited card for Seoul public transport, with short-term passes (1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days) for foreign tourists and visitors to Seoul.
• The Moduui Card (K-Pass) is a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport program that returns part of your spending through your card company the next month if you ride 15 times or more in a month.

Who needs to do this

• Climate Card short-term passes (1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days) are made for foreign tourists and visitors to Seoul. Buy a physical card, choose a short-term pass at a top-up machine and load it, and you can use it right away (Seoul City Climate Card Q&A).
• Foreigners staying in Seoul long-term for 90 days or more can sign up on the T-money website with their foreign resident registration number and receive the same benefits as Koreans, such as the youth discount (age 19 to 39) and Ttareungyi (따릉이) public bikes.
• The Moduui Card (K-Pass) is for adults aged 19 or older. Its official sign-up conditions state that it is for residents of participating local governments and that foreigners can also join (Moduui Card sign-up conditions).

Where to apply

• Buy and top up a physical Climate Card at convenience stores and subway stations; the mobile card is issued and topped up in the Android or iPhone app (Seoul City policy archive: Climate Card).
• A postpaid Climate Card is issued by applying individually to a card company, and after issuance you must register it on the T-money Card & Pay website (Seoul City Climate Card A to Z).
• For the Moduui Card (K-Pass), get a card from a card company and then sign up on the Moduui Card website or app. You can also join with an existing K-Pass or Altteul Transportation Card.
• Moduui Card usage and refund enquiries: customer center 031-427-4415; policy enquiries: Korea Transportation Safety Authority 054-459-7288.

What to bring

• Climate Card short-term pass: a physical Climate Card and the amount to load.
• Climate Card 30-day pass youth discount and Ttareungyi use (long-term foreign residents): foreign resident registration number and a T-money website account.
• Moduui Card (K-Pass): a card with the Moduui Card (or K-Pass or Altteul Transportation Card) function, and membership on the website or app.

Cost

The amounts below are from official guidance by Seoul City, Seoul Metro and Moduui Card (as of 2026).

• Seoul subway basic fare (within 10km, transit card): adults 1,550 won, youth 900 won, children 550 won. A single-use transit card costs 1,650 won for adults (including youth) (Seoul Metro fare guide).
• Subway distance surcharge (adults): 100 won for every 5km between 10 and 50km, and 100 won for every 8km beyond 50km.
• The basic subway fare was adjusted to 1,550 won on June 28, 2025 (Seoul City public transport fares).
• Seoul city buses (urban type) have cost 1,500 won for adults, 900 won for youth and 550 won for children since August 12, 2023 (transit card fare).
• Climate Card 30-day pass: 65,000 won with Ttareungyi, 62,000 won without. Youth pass: 58,000 won with Ttareungyi, 55,000 won without (Seoul City policy archive: Climate Card).
• Climate Card short-term passes: 1-day 5,000 won, 2-day 8,000 won, 3-day 10,000 won, 5-day 15,000 won, 7-day 20,000 won.
• Moduui Card (K-Pass) basic refund rates: general (age 35 to under 65) 20%, youth (age 19 to 34), seniors (65 or older) and multi-child families (2) 30%, multi-child families (3) 50%, low-income 53.3%. For rides boarded in staggered commuting hours (5:30–6:30, 9–10, 16–17, 19–20 o’clock) the rates rise to 50%, 60%, 80% and 83.3% respectively (Moduui Card program and refund rules).
• For the flat-type (general and plus) refund thresholds, check the latest rules on the Moduui Card official website before use.

Procedure

• Step 1: tap your transit card on the reader both when boarding and when getting off. If you do not tap when getting off, you lose the free transfer and pay a separate fare for each mode.
• Step 2 (transfer): board the next vehicle within 30 minutes after getting off (within 60 minutes from 21 o’clock to 7 o’clock the next day) for the integrated fare to apply; free transfers are allowed for up to 5 rides (Seoul City public transport fares).
• Step 3 (integrated fare): the basic fare covers a total distance of up to 10km; beyond 10km, 100 won (youth 80 won, children 50 won) is added for every 5km.
• Step 4: a Climate Card short-term pass starts as soon as it is loaded, so load it to match your actual travel dates.
• Step 5: the Moduui Card (K-Pass) refunds only if you ride 15 times or more in a month (from the 1st to the last day); the refund is calculated automatically using whichever of the basic, general or plus types gives the largest refund and is paid through your card company the next month (Moduui Card accrual guide).

Common sticking points

• If you board a Climate Card at a station inside the service area and get off at a station outside it, station staff collect a separate fare (for example, boarding at Seoul Station and getting off at Indeogwon Station). The Shinbundang Line and lines of other cities and provinces are outside the service area.
• A Climate Card short-term pass starts the moment it is loaded, so it is better not to load it in advance as a gift.
• With the Moduui Card (K-Pass), no refund accrues for card use before you sign up as a member.
• Moduui Card accruals take 2 to 3 days on average, and up to 14 days, to appear.
• Transport that is ticketed separately, such as intercity, express and airport buses, KTX and SRT, is excluded from Moduui Card accrual.
• A single-use transit card costs 100 won more than a transit card (adult fare).

This guide is general information and does not decide individual eligibility. Fares and refund rules can change, so check the original text through the official links and with the competent authority.