Last updated: August 2026. K-Tour PASS is scheduled to open in late August to early September 2026. Please check the LACHA app and website (lacha.co.kr) for the exact launch date and detailed terms.
Have you ever worried about "how much will it cost from the airport to downtown" or "KTX to Busan is so expensive" while planning your Korea trip? The K-Tour PASS (Korea Tourism Integrated Pass) promoted by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is designed to solve exactly these concerns.
It's a tourism pass with transportation features, so with just one pass, you can get benefits both when entering the city from the airport and when traveling to regional areas.
It's an Official Tourism Pass Supported by the Government
K-Tour PASS isn't a discount product created by individual companies—it's an official project organized by the Korea Tourism Organization, a public institution under the government. Here are some important things to know:
- The project is run by a public institution. Since it's a project promoted by the Korea Tourism Organization with the purpose of "revitalizing regional tourism and improving travel convenience for foreign visitors," benefits to travelers are the very purpose of the project itself.
- Discounts are subsidized by KTO's budget. This project has been allocated a total discount support budget of 1.2 billion KRW. The discounts you receive aren't random promotions added by sellers, but amounts supported by KTO's budget.
- Sellers are also selected through public review. It's not sold on just any app—you can only purchase it from official sales operators (OTAs) selected by the Korea Tourism Organization through public recruitment and review. Sellers must follow the product composition and discount conditions set by KTO exactly and cannot change them arbitrarily.
- It's connected to rail and transportation infrastructure. Train benefits are linked with Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) tickets and Korail Pass, and Airport Express benefits are applied directly to actual route bookings.
- Sales performance is regularly reported to KTO. Selected sellers regularly report sales and usage performance to KTO and also conduct customer satisfaction surveys.
So you don't need to worry about "is this discount real?" However, we do recommend checking whether the seller is officially selected before purchasing.
K-Tour PASS Benefits — Up to 40,000 KRW
When you purchase the pass, the following benefits are expected to be included:
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Airport Express | 1 free one-way ride on direct train (worth 12,000 KRW) |
| Transportation to Busan | 18,000 KRW discount on KTX or express/intercity bus |
| Tourist attractions | 1 free admission to a paid tourist site (worth 10,000 KRW) |
All three benefits combined total up to 40,000 KRW per person. If you take the direct train from Incheon Airport to Seoul Station and travel to Busan a few days later, you'll naturally use most of the benefits.
Who Benefits Most?
- Those arriving at Incheon Airport — You can use the free direct train benefit on your first day.
- Those going to Busan, not just staying in Seoul — The discount on trains and buses to Busan makes it easy to recoup the pass cost.
- Those planning to visit at least one tourist attraction — Free admission to one paid attraction is included.
On the other hand, if you're only staying in downtown Seoul for a short trip without visiting regional areas, it might be hard to use all the benefits. We recommend checking first whether your itinerary includes a trip to Busan.
Pass Types
The pass comes in several types, with some products including the Korail Pass (a pass that allows unlimited train travel for a certain period) and others without it.
- Basic type — Focuses on transportation discounts to Busan. This is the most affordable option.
- With Korail Pass — From 2-day to 5-day passes, choose according to your multi-city itinerary.
You can choose based on your trip length and travel plans, but for just a Seoul↔Busan round trip, the basic type is often sufficient.
How to Use
- Purchase pass — Buy K-Tour PASS in the LACHA app.
- Book transportation — When you book Airport Express or KTX/buses to Busan in the app, benefits are automatically applied.
- Board — Just board with your issued ticket—that's it!
LACHA allows you to sign up with just an email, without a Korean phone number or identity verification, and you can pay with cards issued overseas (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, UnionPay) and digital wallets like Alipay, WeChat Pay, TrueMoney, and ZaloPay. It's convenient to prepare everything before arriving in Korea, while you're still in your home country.
When Can I Buy It?
It's scheduled to open in late August to early September 2026. The sales start date, exact prices, and terms will be available in the LACHA app and on the website (lacha.co.kr) at launch.
One thing to note: since this pass is operated with government support budget (1.2 billion KRW), it may end early once the budget is exhausted. Moreover, this budget isn't divided among sellers but is consumed on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you have fixed travel dates, we recommend checking as soon as the opening announcement is made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can Korean citizens buy it? No. K-Tour PASS is a product for foreign tourists visiting Korea. According to KTO project guidelines, verification procedures using nationality, passport information, overseas payment methods, etc., will be conducted at purchase.
Q. Is it really government-supported? Yes. It's an official project organized by the Korea Tourism Organization, and discount amounts are subsidized from KTO's budget (total of 1.2 billion KRW). Only sellers selected by KTO through public recruitment and review can sell it.
Q. What's the difference between Airport Express 'direct train' and regular train? The direct train goes straight from Incheon Airport to Seoul Station without stopping at intermediate stations. It's faster than regular trains and has assigned seating. The free benefit applies to one one-way ride on the direct train.
Q. Are there discounts for cities other than Busan? Transportation discounts target routes to Busan. For other regions, you can choose products that include the Korail Pass to travel to multiple cities.
Q. How do I receive the benefits? After purchasing the pass in the LACHA app, benefits will be automatically applied when you book the relevant routes. You can use them without the hassle of finding and entering separate coupons.
This article was written based on project information published by the Korea Tourism Organization. Prices, benefit terms, and sales periods may change according to KTO policies, so please be sure to check the latest information in the LACHA app and on the website (lacha.co.kr) before purchasing.
