Can Seoul afford free bus rides for seniors?

Seoul is considering free or subsidized bus rides for senior citizens aged 70 and older, expanding the decades-old system of free railway use for those aged 65 and above.

The proposal cleared a Seoul Metropolitan Council committee on June 15 and is scheduled for a vote at the council’s plenary session on Wednesday.

The subsidy would cover city and neighborhood buses, but exclude express and intercity buses.

But the plan has drawn opposition from those concerned about the financial burden on a ci ...