Special Olympic travel card/pass to be released

A special travel card/pass will be issued in celebration of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics/Paralympics. The pass is expected to raise convenience for visitors to Korea, by providing transportation discounts for KTX trains between Seoul-Gangneung, subways, local buses and shuttles and discounted prices at major tourist attractions.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Thursday that it would present an Olympic exclusive card and pass that combines discounts for transportation and tourism, along with the KORAIL and Visit Korea Committee. The card/pass has been designed to help domestic and foreign visitors to conveniently access public transportation to visit Olympic host cities of Pyeongchang, Gangneung and Jeongseon and induce tourism in other adjacent cities.

Pass holders of the “Seoul-Gangneung Pass,” limited to domestic users only, will be able to board KTX lines between Seoul-Gangneung and non-express trains bound for Yeongdong and Taebaek. They will also be given free passes to board the G-Shuttle, which connects major tourist attractions in Gangwon Province with the Seoul Metropolitan Area.

The Pyeongchang Korail Pass is exclusively created for foreigners and can be used during the Olympic Games, from Feb. 1 to March 25. Pass holders are entitled to unlimited use, including KTX, Saemaeul and Mugungwha trains and enjoy free city tours in six major cities, including Seoul, Busan and Jeju. Foreigners can get free pay-as-you-go smart cards that provide higher mobility.

The Korea Tour Card, which released in January this year to raise travel convenience for foreign travelers, has also released a special card for the Pyeongchang Olympic Games. Users can deposit money on the card to use public transportation and are offered discounts at 178 affiliated stores across the country.

Ga-In son gain@donga.com