Jinju City Wins Presidential Award at Local Autonomy Management Awards for Future Mobility Policies

Selected in the Livelihood Stability Category for MaaS, Hamo Call Bus, and the 100-Won Fare Program

Connecting Metropolitan and Local Transit, Expanding Mobility Options in Transport-Vulnerable Areas

Jinju City in South Gyeongsang Province received the Presidential Award at the 22nd Korea Local Autonomy Management Awards for its public transportation policies, which include MaaS (Mobility as a Service), the demand-responsive transport service Hamo Call Bus, and the 100-won bus fare program for children and teenagers.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Jinju City, the 22nd Korea Local Autonomy Management Awards ceremony was held in connection with the 2026 Regional Economic Innovation Expo on the 17th at Gangneung Olympic Park in Gangwon Province.

This year’s competition evaluated local government policies in various sectors, including livelihood stability, regional vitality enhancement, youth support, and regional resource development. Jinju City was selected as the recipient of the Presidential Citation in the Livelihood Stability category.

[Photo provided by Jinju City] Jinju City officials are taking a commemorative photo after receiving the Presidential Commendation in the Livelihood Stability category at the awards ceremony of the 22nd Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition held on the 17th at Gangneung Olympic Park, Gangwon Province.

After receiving the Presidential Award at the ceremony, Jinju City presented its "Jinju Future Mobility Initiative" as an exemplary case.

◆ Connection from Metropolitan to Urban Transport

The Jinju Future Mobility Policy includes major projects such as MaaS, the Hamo Call Bus, and the 100-won bus fare program for children and youth.

"Jinju-style MaaS" is a system that connects metropolitan transportation such as air, rail, intercity, and express buses with Jinju's local buses, Hamo Call Bus, and taxis.

By using the "Tmoney GO" transportation platform, visitors who arrive in Jinju via metropolitan transport can earn 1,650 won in transfer mileage when transferring to regional public transportation.

According to city data, since the launch in October of last year, more than 660,000 people have enrolled over a ten-month period, with cumulative usage exceeding 1.4 million. Of those, approximately 34,000 users benefited from a total transportation cost reduction estimated at about 54 million won.

◆ 142,000 Users for Hamo Call Bus in 10 Months

The Hamo Call Bus is a demand-responsive public transportation service (DRT) that operates based on passengers’ requests and needs.

Unlike conventional route buses that run on fixed routes and schedules, this service adjusts operation according to demand, helping to address mobility needs in areas where public transport is relatively inconvenient.

Jinju City reported that the Hamo Call Bus recorded 142,000 users during its first ten months of operation.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety also highlighted Jinju's achievements in building a metropolitan transfer discount platform and introducing demand-responsive buses as major policy outcomes at this year’s local autonomy management competition.

◆ Implementation of the 100-Won Bus Fare for Children and Teenagers

The 100-won bus fare program for children and teenagers was also part of the evaluation.

Through this program, children and teenagers aged 18 or younger pay only 100 won when using a transportation card to ride city buses within Jinju City.

According to statistics from Jinju City, over the 19 months since its implementation, the cumulative number of users reached 10.89 million, and it is estimated that this resulted in transportation cost savings of roughly 10.2 billion won for users.

During the same period, Jinju City reported an increase of 3.27 million bus riders compared to previous totals.

Based on the increased ridership from MaaS, the Hamo Call Bus, and the 100-won fare policy, the city estimates that approximately 4,253 tons of greenhouse gases have been reduced compared to past levels.

[Photo by Geochang County] Officials from Jinju City are taking a commemorative photo after receiving the President's Commendation in the Livelihood Stability category at the awards ceremony of the 22nd Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition held on the 17th at Olympic Park in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.

However, since the calculated figures for transportation cost savings and greenhouse gas reduction are based on Jinju City's own standards, it is necessary to continue monitoring ridership data and calculation criteria to accurately assess the actual policy impact.

Jinju City Mayor Jo Gyu-il stated, "We will continue to enhance MaaS, Hamo Call Bus, and the 100-won fare policy to ease transportation costs and mobility inconveniences for citizens," adding, "We also aim to connect our public transportation policies with the region’s tourism and economic activities."

Jinju City plans to further improve public transportation services by analyzing the usage status and operational results of its future mobility programs.

The receipt of the Presidential Award is significant as it represents external recognition of Jinju City's public transport policies. However, what matters more than this achievement is how much initiatives like MaaS, the Hamo Call Bus, and the 100-won fare policy are actually reducing citizens' mobility inconveniences and financial burdens.

It is also necessary to continuously verify increases in ridership, cost reductions, and greenhouse gas mitigation through objective indicators to further improve policy effectiveness.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.