It looks like Korean trains are getting increasingly packed due to the Rail-ro pass program:
At Seoul Station, Kang Yea-na, a 22-year-old student, boarded a Mugunghwa train bound for Gyeongju, a popular destination on the southeastern coast. She did not have a normal ticket.
Rather, Kang was boarding the train on a Rail-ro pass, along with many similarly young travelers holding passes that allow them to take free or standing seats aboard trains.
The Rail-ro program, run by the Korean Rail Corporation (Korail), allows pass holders to hop on and off trains by taking standing or free seats. The program is limited to Koreans under the age of 25, and Korail releases roughly 10,000 tickets per day.
The name Rail-ro is a portmanteau of “rail,” which is also a homophone for “future” in Korean, and “ro,” which means “path.”
The program has gained popularity ever since Korail introduced the passes in 2007. Rail-ro travelers have been coined the nickname “railers,” and ridership has increased each year.
During the program’s first year, the number of railers was close to 8,000. By 2014, the number surpassed 192,000.
Korail sells Rail-ro passes only twice a year, in the summer from June to September and in the winter from November to March. Five-day passes cost 56,500 won ($50) and seven-day passes go for 62,700 won. Railers are free to board most types of trains, including the ITX-Cheongchun, ITX-Saemaeul, Saemaeul, Nuriro and Mugunghwa. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but has any ROK Heads traveled around Korea using this pass?
