Passengers board the "Seonggong Bus" one by one at a stop near Exit 4 of Wangsimni Station in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on May 14.

On the afternoon of May 14, a long line of local residents waited at the “Seonggong Bus” stop near Wangsimni Station in Seoul. Just a few stops later, the bus was packed with passengers. “It’s usually busy, but today there are even more people than usual,” said the driver, who reminded each boarding passenger, “We’re departing. Hold on tight!”

The “Seonggong Bus” is short for “Seongdong-gu Public Facility Free Shuttle Bus.” Starting with Route 1 in October last year, two additional routes (Routes 2 and 3) were launched on May 1 this year.

Now, the colorful blue, pink, and yellow Seonggong Buses can be spotted frequently around Seongdong-gu. Routes 1 and 2 have already gained popularity by word of mouth, especially among those who frequent welfare centers and other public facilities.

The Seonggong Bus connects major public institutions in the district, including community service centers, cultural centers, libraries, the Toy World, the 50 Plus Center, and the Seongdong Ahnshim Shopping Center. Any Seongdong-gu resident can get a QR code to use the bus. Seniors aged 65 and older can ride for free, even if they are not using a specific public facility.

An 82-year-old woman riding Route 1 said, “Since the Seonggong Bus started operating, I’ve been going out much more often.” She added, “A welfare center is only two stops from my house, but walking is difficult for me. I didn’t want to spend money on a village bus, so I mostly stayed home.” After learning from the welfare center that the Seonggong Bus stops right near her house, she became a regular rider.

The bus has become a vital means of transportation, especially for areas not served by village buses. Although village buses operate in many parts of Seongdong-gu, access to public facilities is not always convenient. Some neighborhoods, like Majang-dong, Sageun-dong, and Yongdap-dong, do not have any village bus service at all.

That is why Route 2 was designed to run from Wangsimni Station to Yongdap-dong, Sageun-dong, and Majang-dong, all of which are not served by village buses. The Seonggong Bus stops were also aligned with city bus stops, enabling easy transfers.

The impact has been significant. A 78-year-old woman riding Route 2 bus said, “I used to climb a hill for 20 minutes every day to catch the No. 131 bus, but now I can transfer directly from the Seonggong Bus. I’m so grateful.” She was on her way to visit her husband in a nursing hospital. “It’s my first time riding this bus,” she added. “My legs hurt, and I was worried about how I’d keep visiting my husband as the weather gets hotter, but now I’m relieved.”

A Seongdong-gu official said on May 19, “Residents in areas without village bus service have long asked the city for additional routes, but it's not easy. Since we don’t have authority over village bus route planning, we’re doing what we can to support residents in other ways.”

The district office set its top priority for the Seonggong Bus as “seamless transfers.” All three routes stop at Wangsimni Station, enabling connections to village buses, city buses, and the subway system.

Launching the service was not easy, especially since the new buses could negatively affect village bus revenues. Even though officials carefully planned routes to avoid overlap, pushback from the village bus association could have derailed the project entirely. District staff, including the mayor, met multiple times with the association to explain the purpose of the project.

District head of Seongdong-gu Jeong Won-oh said, “We pursued the Seonggong Bus project with the belief that a dense, well-connected transport network is a form of welfare. It was a difficult challenge, but we’ll continue developing transportation policies that guarantee the ‘right to mobility’ for all residents.”