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Rising oil prices push commuters out of cars and into public transportation

Published: 05 Apr. 2026, 18:16

Passengers move to transfer to Line 1 at Seomyeon Station in Busan during the morning rush hour on April 3. [KIM MIN-JU]

BUSAN — Rising oil prices driven by the Iran war are pushing more people in Korea out of their cars and into public transportation as local governments consider expanding subway and bus services and offering rebates.

At Seomyeon Station, the busiest transfer hub on the Busan Metro on Friday, an office worker named Moon Min-ho described how he recently switched to the subway for his daily commute.

“My commute now takes about 30 minutes longer, but I use the subway,” Moon said. “If I drive, I spend more than 12,000 won [$8] a day on fuel for a round trip.”

Moon travels about 23 kilometers (14 miles) from his home in Seo District, Busan, to his workplace in Geumjeong District by subway. The cost used to be around 9,000 won before fuel prices rose.

The increase in public transportation use is reflected in the data.

Passenger traffic at six major transfer stations on Busan Metro Lines 1 to 4 — Seomyeon, Sasang, Suyeong, Daejeo, Dongnae and Yeonsan — reached 9,974,182 in March, up 474,323 from a year earlier, according to the Busan Transportation Corporation.

A train waits in a rail yard in Busan on Sept. 16, 2025. [NEWS1]

That translates to an average daily increase of 15,300 passengers. Growth stood out at major regional transfer hubs such as Sasang Station, which rose 7 percent, and Daejeo Station, which increased 7.1 percent.

“The increase became more noticeable after March 10,” a Busan Transportation Corporation representative said. “Rising oil prices and policies such as the five-day vehicle restriction for public institutions appear to have contributed.”

The restriction has limited the use of public institution vehicles to one day a week based on license plate numbers, which started last month.

The increase in public transportation and the vehicle restriction come as domestic gasoline prices have surged. Gasoline rose from 1,691 won per liter, or about $4.25 per gallon, on Feb. 24 to 1,906 won on March 10 and approached 2,000 won as of Sunday.

A notice on the five-day vehicle restriction system is posted in front of Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 2. [NEWS1]

Bus ridership has also increased. In Busan, the number of bus trips rose 3.6 percent from 7,471,000 in the second week of March to 7,743,000 in the fourth week, according to the Busan Bus Transport Association.

However, higher diesel prices have increased the burden on transportation operators, with smaller neighborhood buses — which run primarily on diesel — facing greater pressure.

Seoul shows a similar trend. The average daily number of public transportation users increased 4.9 percent, or 994,633, from 20,405,849 between Feb. 24 and 26, before oil prices rose, to 21,400,482 between March 10 and 12.

Commuters use Jonggak Station on Seoul Subway Line 1 during the evening rush hour on April 3. [NEWS1]

Against this backdrop, Seoul will provide a monthly rebate of 30,000 won to Climate Card users from April through June. The measure aims to ease the burden on residents while encouraging public transportation use.

The Climate Card is an integrated monthly pass that allows unlimited use of subways, buses and the Hangang Bus ferry service. The standard 30-day pass costs 62,000 won, while a youth pass costs 55,000 won. Opting in on the Hangang Bus ferry service and the bike-sharing service Ttareungi adds up to 8,000 won.

Users of the Climate Card use about 95,000 won worth of transportation services per month on average. The program currently has about 800,000 users, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government expects that number to increase by 100,000 with the latest support measures.

The rebate will apply to Seoul residents who use a pass between April and June. The rebate for April usage will be issued in June. Users who do not use the pass for the full period or do not request rebates will not receive them.

A notice for the Climate Card is displayed at a subway station in Seoul on April 16, 2025. [NEWS1]

“We will reduce transportation costs, increase public transportation use and contribute to energy savings,” Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said.

Daegu has also taken steps to respond. The city plans to run more buses and trains during the morning rush to cut wait times and gradually expand on-demand bus services in areas with limited access.

The city also runs a program that rewards residents for using public transportation instead of driving once a week. Under the program, residents earn points worth 80 percent of the fare, which they can use to pay for future rides.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-JU, BAEK KYUNG-SEO AND KIM MIN-WOOK [[email protected]]