High-Speed Rail Integration Roadmap Puts Safety and Convenience First, Minister Kim Says

South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on Dec. 8, 2025, a roadmap to integrate high-speed rail operations currently split between KTX and SRT. The government plans to complete institutional integration around early 2027 and then unify the fare systems of KTX and SRT. Integrated train formation and operations are set to begin in the second half of 2026, with the launch of an integrated rail corporation targeted by the end of 2026. From late 2026, fare discounts will be introduced for transfers from SRT to Korail conventional trains, and cancellation fees will be waived when passengers switch between KTX and SRT services. Minister Kim Yun-deok said public safety and convenience would come first in the integration. Source: hankyung.com.