Hi-pass

Hi-pass (Korean: 하이패스) is an electronic toll collection system for the expressways in South Korea that allows motorists to make wireless toll payments, without the need to stop.

Hi-Pass was created to avoid congestion on major roads and in urban areas. It’s a system that can be installed in vehicles, and once passed through a toll gate, it will automatically charge the road usage fee to the rechargeable Hi-pass card. There is no need to stop or reduce speed to pay. It helps prevent mismatches between the number of vehicles and the limited road capacity, which could otherwise lead to significant traffic jams on main highways.

Automobile ownership in Korea increased from just over 2 million in 1988 to over 11 million in 1999, resulting in a 40% annual increase (Chang, 2002). Transportation experts in Korea had to take action in response to the rising pressure on urban mobility. With a growing number of vehicles traveling farther and more frequently, the nation’s primary highway networks were reaching their limits. Toll road funding essentially charges tolls to fund road improvements and to repay project costs (Chang, 2002). It was necessary to recoup the money borrowed from international banks to build new roads and mitigate the increasing traffic problems, especially in the metropolitan areas of the Peninsula.

Hi-Pass is also used in public transportation, railways, and subways. However, it does not fully consider accessibility for disabled individuals, such as those with mental disabilities, wheelchair users, or the blind. Hi-Pass designed antennas for use in a free-pass system for people with disabilities. Subway free-pass system allows transportation for disadvantaged individuals with a gate-free pass card in their possession to approach the gate, which then opens automatically (Lee, 2025). This system provides more convenience and better meets their needs.

It uses DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communication), allowing for automatic settlement of tolls, by communication between the car terminal and the toll gate equipment.