Seoul’s 30 day Climate Card stopped working on 1 October 2026, but the tourist version survives. Short term Climate Card passes (1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days, 5,000 to 20,000 won) still give you unlimited subway and city bus rides inside Seoul. Ride three or more times a day? Buy one. Fewer, or lots of day trips? A plain T-money card wins.
Sunbae Says: Charge the pass on the morning you start riding, never the night before. Day one starts with the first train on the day you charge, and a 1 day pass dies with the last train that same night.
Picture it: you come up the escalator at Seoul Station with a suitcase, the machine offers five passes in two languages, and a queue is forming behind you. This page is so you already know which button to press.
What Actually Changed On 1 October
Three things, and only one of them is bad news for you.
The 30 day card is gone. Per Seoul City Hall’s shutdown FAQ (in Korean), prepaid 30 day cards could be charged until 31 August, the last prepaid riding day was 29 September, postpaid cards ran to 30 September, and the whole 30 day service ended on 1 October 2026. Residents moved to a refund scheme built on the national 모두의 카드 (“everyone’s card”), which needs a Korean bank account, as The Korea Herald explained. Visitors can’t use it without a registration number and Korean ID verification, the city’s FAQ confirms.
The short passes stay. The same FAQ says the 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 day passes continue “as before”, and new physical cards are still on sale.
The bad news: coverage shrank to Seoul. From 1 October, the city’s coverage notice (in Korean) limits the short passes to subway sections inside Seoul, Seoul licensed city and village buses (night and circular buses included) and the Airport Railroad (blue) to Incheon Airport T1 and T2. The old bonus areas in Gimpo, Goyang, Gwacheon, Guri, Seongnam, Hanam and Namyangju are out.
Heads Up: Many English guides still say the pass reaches Gwacheon, Hanam or Ilsan. Not since 1 October. Seoul Grand Park station on Line 4 (sky blue) sits in Gwacheon, so a zoo day now needs a pay per ride card for that leg.
You may also read that the 30 day card ended on 29 August. The city’s own FAQ says 29 September for prepaid riding. Trust the city.
The Prices And What They Cover
| Pass | Price | Break even at 1,550 won per subway trip |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | 5,000 won | 4 trips that day |
| 2 days | 8,000 won | 6 trips |
| 3 days | 10,000 won | 7 trips |
| 5 days | 15,000 won | 10 trips |
| 7 days | 20,000 won | 13 trips |
Add 3,000 won once for the physical card, per the city’s short pass page (in Korean). The card itself is not refundable. The adult subway base fare on a transit card has been 1,550 won since 28 June 2025, and a Seoul city bus is 1,500 won.
Covered: Seoul subway lines inside the city limits, Seoul licensed blue, green, yellow and village buses, and the all stop Airport Railroad (blue) ride from Seoul out to the airport.
Not covered: the Shinbundang Line (red), GTX, subway sections outside Seoul, red express buses, airport limousine buses, buses licensed by other cities, Ttareungyi bikes and the Hangang Bus ferry.
The airport rule is the one nobody gets right. Since September 2024 you can ride the Airport Railroad and get off at Incheon T1 or T2 with any Climate Card (in Korean), but you cannot board there with it. So the pass is no help on arrival day and a free ride on departure day.
Heads Up: Tapping a Climate Card at the Incheon Airport gates on arrival will not work. Buy your first ride on T-money, then charge the pass in the city.
Your Options, With My Opinions
| Option | Best For | Cost | Time To Set Up | My Take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short term Climate Card | Three or more rides a day inside Seoul | 3,000 won card plus 5,000 to 20,000 won pass | 2 minutes at a station machine | My pick for city days. Unlimited rides kill the fare maths |
| T-money | Slow travellers, day trips outside Seoul | 3,000 to 5,000 won card, then pay per ride | 1 minute at any convenience store | The backup everyone needs. Works nationwide |
| WOWPASS | People who also want a prepaid shopping card and currency exchange | 5,000 won registration | 5 to 10 minutes at a kiosk with your passport | Fine if you want the wallet. Overkill for transit alone |
| NAMANE | Fans who want a custom photo card as a souvenir | About 6,000 to 7,000 won card | 5 minutes at a kiosk | Pure fun. Works like a pay per ride card |
| Korea Tour Card | Bargain hunters who will use partner discounts | Check the T-money site | 1 minute | A T-money for foreigners with shop and attraction perks. Nice, not essential |
WOWPASS lists the 5,000 won registration fee, and its own help pages say the T-money side is topped up with won cash at stations or convenience stores. VisitKorea’s transport card page also lists M-pass, a foreigners only card at 15,000 won for one day. At three times the Climate Card price, skip it.
My verdict: a Climate Card for your Seoul days plus a T-money for arrival day and day trips. That pair covers every trip in this guide.
Worth It: the 5 or 7 day pass if you explore the city. At 20,000 won for a week, two rides a day pays for it.
Skip It: the 1 day pass on arrival day. Most people ride twice after a flight, and two trips on T-money cost 3,100 won.
Where To Buy And Charge It
Buy the card at the new style card vending machines in Seoul Metro stations on Lines 1 to 8, or at convenience stores near Line 9 (gold), Ui Sinseol Line and Sillim Line stations, says the city’s short pass page. The city confirms it can’t be bought outside Korea, so ignore anyone selling one online before you fly.
Charge the pass at the station charging machines with cash or a card. Since 17 March 2026, 440 new machines at 273 stations on Lines 1 to 8 (in Korean) accept foreign Visa and Mastercard cards plus mobile wallets for new Climate Cards, short pass charges and single tickets, with an average 3.7% fee. As a visitor, plan on the physical card.
Your easiest stops: Seoul Station (Lines 1 and 4), Myeong-dong (Line 4, sky blue) and Hongik Univ. (Line 2, green) all have the new machines inside, by the ticket gates. They are also the three busiest for foreign card sales, per Money Today (in Korean). For your first T-money at Incheon, the CU stores in Terminal 1 arrivals (near exits A and F) are open around the clock.
[SUNBAE FIELD TEST: photograph the Climate Card menu on a new machine at Seoul Station and note the exact button order in English mode]
Refunds exist but are fiddly. You get back the charge minus what you rode minus a 500 won fee, by bank transfer or partial card cancellation, and only while the pass is still valid. Expired means no refund. The T-money helpline is 1644-0088.
Behind The Scenes
Why the short passes survived. The city’s FAQ says it plainly: the short passes “cannot be combined with 모두의 카드”, so they stayed in Seoul’s hands. The 30 day card died in a national scheme fight; The Korea Times reported the transport ministry and the city sparring in public over the replacement. Tourists were the one group nobody wanted to upset.
What Koreans call it. Locals say 기동카 (gi-dong-ka) for Climate Card, and the city’s own FAQ calls your pass 관광권 (tourist pass) or 단기권 (short term pass). If a station worker hears “gi-dong-ka”, they know exactly what you need.
The day starts at 4am, not when you tap. The official wording is “first train (04:00) on the start day to the last train on the end day”. Calendar days, not 24 hour blocks. Charge at 9pm and you’ve wasted a day.
Tourists vote with their feet. After the foreign card machines arrived, short pass charges roughly doubled year on year, from about 120,000 to 240,000, and the 3 day pass took 35% of sales, ahead of the 5 day at 24%, per the same Money Today report.
Pick Your Version
If It’s Your First Time
You will ride more than you think: palace in the morning, market at lunch, Hongdae at night. I’d buy a 5 day pass for a six or seven night trip, use T-money on arrival day, and ride the Airport Railroad (blue) home on your last pass day. Sort your e-Arrival Card before you fly so the airport part is fast, load the apps you need before you land, and use our first timer hub for the rest.
If You’re Bringing Kids
Give every person their own card from day one, so nobody is stuck at the gate while you sort out a top up. The city says a youth 7 day pass costs 13,000 won instead of 20,000, but only after you register as a youth on the T-money website, so I’d budget the adult price. If a zoo day at Seoul Grand Park is on your list, remember it’s in Gwacheon now, outside the pass. Our Seoul with kids guide has the family routes.
If You’re Travelling Solo
A pass suits you perfectly: go where you want, when you want, and every extra ride is free. I’d take the 3 day pass for a long weekend and ride buses as much as the subway, because you see the neighbourhoods. More ideas in our solo Seoul guide.
Sunbae’s Picks
My pick for most visitors: the 5 day pass, charged the morning after you land. It fits a typical week and removes all fare maths.
If I only had a weekend: a 2 day pass at 8,000 won. Six rides and you are ahead, and you’ll do six by Saturday lunch.
My airport rule: T-money in, Climate Card out. Pay for the arrival ride, then time your last pass day so the all stop train to the airport is free.
I’d skip WOWPASS for transit alone. For pure riding, a Climate Card or T-money is simpler.
[AFFILIATE: Klook AREX (blue) Incheon Airport express ticket]
Offers Worth Knowing
The transfer discount is the one most visitors never notice. Seoul cuts your fare when you transfer within 30 minutes (one hour between 9pm and 7am), but only on a transport card and only if you tap out when you leave the bus, per Visit Seoul’s transport page. It matters most on T-money, since pass rides are already unlimited.
Your other saving is simply buying the right length. A 7 day pass works out at under 3,000 won a day.
[AFFILIATE: Klook or Trazy WOWPASS pickup]
Where The Pass Works This Season
Most of what’s on this autumn sits inside the pass. The late October city plan is all Seoul, and the Haneul Park Silver Grass Festival is a Line 6 (brown) ride. Leaf peepers doing the Seoul foliage walks can stay on one pass for days. Need line colours at a glance? Use our subway map.
Day trips are T-money territory. Nami Island runs on lines outside Seoul, and Seoraksan is an intercity bus, so no pass covers them.
What’s Changing Next
Seoul city buses are due to accept tapped Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB cards in 2027, with testing through the end of 2026, as The Korea Herald reported. Hana Card, the partner bank, has named January 2027 (in Korean), with Incheon buses, airport buses and the subway to follow later. For a trip between now and Christmas, you still need a card in your pocket.
Word Of The Stop
충전 (chungjeon): to charge or top up. Point at your card, say “chungjeon” at a convenience store counter, and hand over cash. Every clerk in Seoul knows what you mean.
Map And Directions
- 1Seoul Station (Lines 1 and 4) 서울역1Seoul StationInside the station by the ticket gates (check Naver Map for the exit)
New card machines sell Climate Cards and charge 1 to 7 day passes; foreign Visa and Mastercard accepted, about 3.7% fee. Busiest machine for foreign card sales.
- 2Myeong-dong Station 명동역4Myeong-dong StationInside the station by the ticket gates (check Naver Map for the exit)
New card machines for Climate Card purchase and pass charging; a NAMANE kiosk is at the CU on level 1 next to Exit 8.
- 3Hongik Univ. Station 홍대입구역2Hongik Univ. StationInside the Line 2 station by the ticket gates (check Naver Map for the exit)
New card machines on Line 2; one of the three busiest stations for foreign card pass sales, so expect a short queue on weekend mornings.
- 4CU Incheon Airport T1 Arrivals (Exit A) CU 인천국제공항1호점Area pinIncheon Int'l Airport Terminal 1 Station1F international arrivals, right of Exit A
Open 24 hours. Buy a T-money card and top it up with won cash for your arrival ride; the Climate Card cannot be used to board at the airport.
- 5CU Incheon Airport T2 Arrivals (Exit 10) CU 인천국제공항3호점Area pinIncheon Int'l Airport Terminal 2 Station1F near EXIT10
Open 6am to 10pm. T-money cards and cash top ups for your first ride into Seoul.
- 6Gimpo Airport Station 김포공항역5Gimpo Int'l Airport StationInside the Line 5 station by the ticket gates (check Naver Map for the exit)
Gimpo is inside Seoul, so the pass works here; Line 5 has the new Seoul Metro card machines.
Your Tickets
Last Mile
- Seoul Station → Myeong-dong Station about 5 min on Line 4
- Seoul Station → Hongik Univ. Station about 15 min
Tap a button to open directions on your phone. In Korea, Naver Map and KakaoMap give full walking directions; Google Maps covers subway and bus but, as of September 2026, still has no turn by turn walking or driving here. Pins marked “Area pin” show a neighbourhood, not a door.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Tourists Still Buy The Climate Card In Seoul?
Yes. The 30 day version ended on 1 October 2026, but the 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 day passes continue. Buy a 3,000 won card at a Line 1 to 8 station machine and charge the pass there.
Does The Climate Card Work At Incheon Airport?
Half of it. You can ride the all stop Airport Railroad (blue) from Seoul and get off at T1 or T2 on your pass, but you cannot board at the airport with it. Pay for your arrival ride on T-money.
Is The 1 Day Pass 24 Hours?
No. It runs from the first train on the day you charge it to the last train that night. Charge it in the morning.
Can I Pay With My Foreign Credit Card?
Yes, at the newer machines in Line 1 to 8 stations, which take foreign cards since March 2026 with a small fee. Keep 10,000 won cash as backup for T-money top ups.
Does The Pass Still Work In Gyeonggi Province?
No. Since 1 October 2026, the short passes cover Seoul only (plus the airport ride out). Gwacheon, Hanam, Goyang, Gimpo, Guri, Seongnam and Namyangju were dropped.
Next Stop
- Korea In November 2026: what your pass days will look like, week by week.
- The 5 Apps You Need Before You Land: the map and taxi apps that pair with your card.
- Nami Island In Autumn: the classic day trip your pass won’t cover, and how to pay for it.
Resources
- Seoul Climate Card FAQ (in Korean): the official rules, end dates and short pass notes.
- T-money customer centre, 1644-0088: refunds and card problems.
- 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: English help 24 hours, including transport questions.
- 120 Dasan Call Centre, press 9: Seoul city help in foreign languages.
- Naver Map or KakaoMap: live subway and bus routes, exits and fares.
How I Checked This
On 4 October 2026 I rechecked the shutdown dates, prices, card price, refund rule, the new 1 October coverage limits and the airport railroad rule against Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Climate Card pages, the foreign card machines against the city’s March announcement and Money Today, and the 2027 bus plan against The Korea Herald and Korean business press. Still unconfirmed: whether visiting teenagers can register for the youth price, the exact 2027 start date for bus card taps, and current card prices at NAMANE and Korea Tour Card kiosks.
Sources
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Climate Card shutdown FAQ (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: short pass coverage from 1 Oct 2026 (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: short pass prices, where to buy, refunds (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Climate Card overview and exclusions (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Airport Railroad (blue) alighting at Incheon T1 and T2 (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: foreign cards at station machines from 17 Mar 2026 (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: foreigners and the Climate Pass (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: buying the card outside Korea (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: tourist pass for 30 day holders (Korean)
- Money Today: foreign card use and short pass figures (Korean)
- The Korea Herald: Climate Card replaced by fare reimbursement plan
- The Korea Times: monthly pass users angered by suspension
- The Korea Herald: foreign cards on Seoul buses from 2027
- News Inside: Hana Card bus payments from January 2027 (Korean)
- Newstap: open loop bus payments and testing to end 2026 (Korean)
- News1: 30 day card replaced by Climate Pass (Korean)
- Aju Business Daily: Climate Card end dates (Korean)
- Seoul Shinmun: subway fare rises to 1,550 won from 28 June 2025 (Korean)
- Seoul price information: bus fares (Korean)
- VisitKorea: transportation cards
- Visit Seoul: getting around and transfer discounts
- T-money: Korea Tour Card
- WOWPASS help pages: fees and T-money top ups
- NAMANE: kiosk locations
- 10 Magazine: what K-Pass means for foreigners and tourists
Written by your sunbae. 24 years living in Seoul, former Korean TV and radio presenter, university professor, and two decades behind the decks in the city’s clubs. Every fact here is checked against official sources and, wherever possible, on the ground.
Beep Check: verified 4 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and dates change; confirm with the official source before you travel.