A commuter waits for a train at a subway station platform in Seoul. The Seoul subway system is known for its variety of conveniences but still causes discomfort for commuters.
/ Korea Times |
By Ines Min
Contributing Writer
Park Geum-seong is tired of the long walks to the end of the subway station platform.
The 75-year-old waits patiently on the Yaksu subway platform with his wife, but they have been pushed to the end of the deserted corridor just so they could reach the elevator.
"They're only at the very front or back of the platforms," Park said. "So it's somewhat uncomfortable" to walk the long distance.
Seoul's subway is one of the world's largest and busiest rapid transit systems, catering to more than 8 million passengers daily. The subway is run by four different companies. Tokyo, the most heavily trafficked system, is operated by two entities.
Kim Yun-gu, the manager of the lost and found center for Lines No. 3 and 4, said that passengers searching for lost articles can get confused by the multiple office locations run by separate management.
"It can be frustrating for people," Kim said. "Web sites of the operators are all separate as well."
KORAIL manages the lines that lead to satellite cities, while Seoul Metro and the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation oversee the largest majority. Seoul Metro Line 9 is responsible for the newest gold line.
Two new lines are under construction, to be managed by the Shin Bundang Line and Yongin Light Rail Corporations.
Each office keeps separate statistics that must be combined for a complete overview of the subway system. But even with the various management companies, the subway system functions seamlessly, though some updates could be used.
Alberto Mello, a Brazilian who has lived in South Korea for the past two years as a cook, said Seoul's subway system is as easy to use as the one in Rio de Janeiro, which has two lines compared with the 11 here. One key difference is the method of exits. While South Korea uses numbers for each, Brazil marks entrances with street names and numbers.
The use of multiple exits can be confusing when there are too many, according to New Zealander Gillian Higgins, an English teacher at a public school. But she finds the system to be cleaner and more efficient overall than others she's been on.
"It's surprisingly easy to use and everything's in English," Higgins said. She has ridden the subway in both Shanghai and Tokyo, where she said the lack of English signs and crowds could make for a "horrible" experience.
While subway systems around the world have their pros and cons, directional markings seems to be a recurring complaint.
The London Underground, the world's first subway system, indicates direction by using the terms "northbound" and "southbound." Though this works fairly well most of the time, it can become ambiguous when applied to the Circle line, which loops around the city center.
In Seoul, figuring out which direction to travel often proves problematic, because most of the signs' direction cues are the major station stops. Unless one knows where all the most important locations are, a map must be consulted.
In France, the Paris Metro indicates direction by simply referring to the end terminals of each line. This avoids the ambiguous northbound and southbound dilemma of east-to-west lines, while providing a consistent standard.
But for all its discomforts, Seoul's subway system satisfies most of its riders.
Kim Jeong-hwan, a press officer for Seoul Metro, said there are no plans to change the overall design of the subway system and its stations, although they are always looking for more ways to make it friendlier for the disabled and children.
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