Politics
Seoul Revises Transit Subsidies for 25 Districts Starting August
Seoul households earning under 3 million won monthly will see altered monthly transit card reimbursements from August, with calculations now tied to local district budgets rather than national averages used elsewhere.
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How we reported this
The Seoul Metropolitan Government updated its transit subsidy program on 7 July 2026, shifting eligibility calculations for low-income cardholders from a city-wide formula to one based on each of the 25 districts' separate revenue shares. The change affects approximately 480,000 Seoul residents who receive monthly reimbursements on T-money cards for subway and bus use.
Why the adjustment arrives in mid-2026
Seoul's 2026 budget paper, released in December 2025, allocated 142 billion won for transit assistance across districts. District offices in Songpa and Nowon reported shortfalls in the prior year when national income thresholds were applied uniformly. The new rules allow each district to set its own income cutoff using local tax collection data from 2025, a step the city administration says aligns spending with actual district resources.
Residents in Mapo-gu, for example, will now qualify if household income stays below 2.8 million won, while the threshold in Gangbuk-gu sits at 2.4 million won. This replaces the previous single cutoff of 2.6 million won that applied across all districts. A household in Jongno-gu using the subway daily can expect the same 35,000 won monthly credit, but only if its reported income meets the new district-specific test verified through local tax records.
Local budget figures and next steps
City documents show Jongno-gu received 8.4 billion won for the program in the current fiscal year, while Seocho-gu was allotted 6.9 billion won. District offices must publish updated applicant lists by 25 July. The Seoul Metropolitan Government expects processing of new applications to begin 1 August, with the first adjusted payments issued on 10 August for July travel.
Policy analysts note the shift mirrors changes already implemented in Busan, where district-level income data has been used since 2024, and Incheon, which adopted similar rules in early 2025. Seoul residents who move between districts will need to reapply under the destination district's criteria within 30 days of relocation.
Applications can be submitted through district community centres or the Seoul Smart City app. The city administration projects full rollout across all 25 districts by September 2026, after which annual reviews of district revenue figures will determine any further adjustments.