By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Seoul City said Monday that it will set up protective screen doors on platforms of every subway station by the end of this year ― to prevent falls and suicide attempts and to improve air quality ― one year sooner than its previous plan.
The city government has allotted 199 billion won for the project. The plan change has come after four people were run over by subway trains and died Saturday.
Out of the 265 stations on subway lines 1 through 8, 89 have screen doors, while construction is underway at another 151. Subway line No. 9, which will open in May, will have protective doors at every station.
On Saturday, a 71-year-old Kim was run over and killed by an above ground subway in eastern Seoul. Kim, who bathed and clothed corpses at a hospital, was on his way to bring the body of another train accident victim who had been killed earlier in the morning to a funeral service center. Two men, one in his 30s and the other in his 50s jumped in front of subway trains and were run over at City Hall Station and Hansung University Station, respectively.