"Tried to Ride the Subway for Free, Hit with a '30-Fold' Fare Penalty"... Man in His 50s Caught Using Mother's Senior Card Eventually Pays

More than 30,000 cases of fare evasion on Seoul subway through September
Misuse of discounted cards accounts for 76.7%; offenders must pay up to 30 times the fare

A man in his 50s who had been riding the subway with his mother’s senior transit card was caught by station staff, but boarded a train and fled. After a police investigation began, however, he eventually went to the station office and paid KRW 650,000. As cases of fare evasion continue, including the use of other people’s discounted transit cards and riding without paying, Seoul Metro is stepping up enforcement. The company is taking a zero-tolerance approach, charging offenders a surcharge of up to 30 times the regular fare in addition to the fare itself and pursuing lawsuits and enforcement measures if they fail to pay.

A subway fare evasion scene. The Asia Business Daily DB (Photo provided by Korail)

According to Seoul Metro on November 4, a total of 31,212 cases of fare evasion were detected on the Seoul subway from January to September this year. The amount collected from offenders totaled approximately KRW 1.65 billion. The number of cases detected over the past three years was even higher. From 2023 through 2025, a total of 159,918 cases of fare evasion were detected, averaging approximately 53,000 cases a year. The amount collected over the same period was KRW 7.7 billion.

More than 7 in 10 cases involved misuse of senior or disability cards

The most common type of fare evasion involved someone other than the intended user using a discounted transit card issued to seniors or people with disabilities. Based on the amount of additional fares assessed this year, misuse of these cards accounted for 76.7%. This was followed by boarding without a ticket and failing to report it, at 15%, and fraudulent use of discounted tickets, such as youth tickets, at 8.3%.

When fare evasion is detected, offenders must pay not only the regular fare for the section traveled but also an additional fare of up to 30 times that amount. Refusing to pay does not put an end to the matter. Seoul Metro has filed civil lawsuits and pursued enforcement measures against passengers who fail to pay additional fares for extended periods.

In one case, Seoul Metro filed a lawsuit in 2021 against a passenger who refused to pay an additional fare. Last year, the court ordered the passenger to pay KRW 5.1 million. When the passenger still did not pay, Seoul Metro began enforcement proceedings in June this year, and the passenger started making installment payments the following month.

A loss of 781 won for every passenger carried

Passengers on Seoul Subway Line 7. Yonhap News

Chronic financial losses are also driving Seoul Metro to step up its enforcement against fare evasion. The company recorded a net loss of KRW 826.8 billion last year, up 14.2% from KRW 724.1 billion the previous year. Its accumulated deficit is also approaching KRW 20 trillion.

The cost of transporting one passenger is KRW 1,817, while average fare revenue is just KRW 1,036. This means the company loses an average of KRW 781 for every passenger it carries.

With the financial burden growing, Seoul Metro plans to go beyond issuing warnings and pursue unpaid fares until they are fully collected. Depending on the circumstances, offenders may also face criminal complaints under the Criminal Act for fraud or fraudulent use of public facilities.

To reduce such cases, Seoul Metro is also running a three-week prevention campaign from October 19 through November 6. Participating railway operators in the Seoul metropolitan area include Korail, Airport Railroad, Gimpo Goldline, Ui-Sinseol Light Rail, Shinbundang Line, and Seoul Metro Line 9.

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