The Metropolitan Transport Commission (MTC) under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) is expanding its semi-public metropolitan bus routes to strengthen regional transport services connecting the outskirts of the Seoul metropolitan area with the capital.
The MTC said Monday that it will begin operating five metropolitan bus routes in phases starting this month. The routes run from Icheon, Yangju, Yongin, Suwon and Uijeongbu to major business districts including Jamsil Station, Gangnam, Seoul Station and Gwanghwamun.
The newly launched routes are Icheon No. 3303 (Bubal-eup–Jamsil Station, July 13), Yangju No. 1407 (Yangju Xi Complex 6·7–Gangnam Express Bus Terminal, July 30), Yongin No. 4105 (Yangji Pine Resort–Seoul Station, Aug. 1), Suwon No. M5165 (Nambu Depot–Seoul Station, Aug. 3) and Uijeongbu No. 1108 (Beodeulgae–KT Gwanghwamun Branch, Aug. 31). The MTC expects the new routes to significantly improve commuting convenience and public transport access for residents in areas that had needed better regional transport connectivity.
The MTC explained that it plans to launch four additional routes by December this year: Gwangmyeong No. 6401 (Gwangmyeong Dome Velodrome–Nonhyeon Station), Yongin No. M4166 (Gangnam University–Seoul Station), Anseong No. 4404 (Anseong Bus Terminal–Gyodae Station) and Bucheon No. M6467 (Bucheon University Sosa Campus–Yangjae Station). Including these, a total of nine new semi-public routes are being established.
Under the metropolitan bus semi-public system, private transport companies handle the bus operations themselves, while the central and local governments hold licensing and management authority over the routes and cover part of the operating costs. Through this arrangement, the system secures both the public nature and stability of operations while enabling more systematic public transport services, according to the MTC. Last year, the MTC conducted demand surveys and feasibility reviews targeting local governments, and confirmed a total of nine new semi-public routes, including the five now launching.
The MTC said it plans to periodically monitor ridership by route to adjust dispatch intervals, and where necessary, reduce commuting-hour transport inconvenience through additional buses or route optimization. Through this, it plans to establish a foundation for the sustainable operation of the semi-public routes.
Park Ji-hong, standing commissioner of the MTC, said, "With the launch of these semi-public routes, commuting convenience for residents in transport-inconvenienced areas of the metropolitan region is expected to improve significantly." He stressed, "We will continue to expand semi-public metropolitan bus routes centered on areas with regional transport inconvenience and congestion, and continuously strengthen regional transport services to a level that the public can tangibly feel."
