As the first Chuseok holiday following the integration of high-speed rail services approaches, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) are expanding train services and intensifying efforts to combat ticket scalping. KORAIL employees will pose as buyers on online resale platforms to identify scalpers, and a 24-hour emergency response system will be activated during the special transport period.
On September 21, the Ministry and KORAIL announced measures to ensure the convenience and safety of train passengers during the Chuseok special transport period from September 23 to 27.
This Chuseok marks the first holiday since the launch of integrated high-speed rail operations on September 1. To alleviate the inconvenience of having to book KTX and SRT tickets on separate websites, a unified booking system has been established.
During the ticket sales period from September 3 to 11, a total of 1.8 million tickets were sold, achieving a booking rate of 84%. This is a 21 percentage point increase from last year's booking rate of 63%. However, the surge in users caused longer wait times, prompting the Ministry and KORAIL to plan improvements.
Since the integration, the number of available seats and transport capacity has also increased. A comparison of transport performance from September 1 to 14 this year with the same period last year showed a 6.7% increase in average daily seat supply, rising from 254,000 to 271,000 seats. The average daily transport volume on major routes, including the Gyeongbu and Honam lines, increased by 12.1%, from 272,000 to 305,000 passengers.
To combat ticket scalping, KORAIL will employ a 'mystery shopper' approach, where employees will purchase tickets from online resale platforms like Danggeun Market and Lightning Market to verify the identities of sellers.
KORAIL's website and mobile app, KORAIL+, will feature a 'scalping report section' to collect reports of suspicious activities. If scalping is detected, offenders will face membership termination and further investigation.
Efforts to prevent fare evasion will also be strengthened. KORAIL announced that passengers traveling without tickets or extending their travel on board will incur an additional fare equal to the original fare.
Tickets for vulnerable groups, such as seniors, people with disabilities, and pregnant women, will display the passenger's name. If someone else uses the ticket and is caught, they may be excluded from pre-booking benefits for the next holiday or face membership termination.
Safety management will be enhanced as well. Special safety inspections will be conducted on key facilities at major stations, including platform equipment, safety doors, fire safety systems, train driving devices, passenger cabin facilities, tracks, and power supply systems.
During the special transport period, a dedicated traffic response headquarters will operate 24 hours a day. Experts in operations, passenger services, vehicles, facilities, and electrical systems will monitor train operations in real-time and respond to any irregularities.
In preparation for emergencies, 11 passenger trains and 15 electric trains will be on standby, and mobile maintenance teams and track inspection personnel will be deployed at major stations. On September 26 and 27, additional late-night electric trains will run a total of 24 times on five lines, including Line 1 in the Seoul metropolitan area, to accommodate returning travelers.
Kim Tae-byeong, Director of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, “As this is the first Chuseok since the integration of high-speed rail, we are working to create noticeable changes for the public, such as expanding transport capacity and establishing a unified booking system. We will ensure that the increased seat supply operates smoothly and that safety inspections of major stations and facilities are conducted in advance, allowing the public to travel with peace of mind during the holiday.”
He added, “We will closely examine and improve the inconveniences experienced by passengers during the booking process, and we will strengthen efforts to combat scalping and fare evasion to provide a safe and convenient rail service for the public.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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