Seoul subway world’s 3rd largest in ridership
By Kim Sun-woong
Professor at University of Wisconsin
Most foreign visitors to Korea would instantaneously recognize the extensive use of railroads in urban transportation.
In the capital city of Seoul, more than 40 percent of commuters use the subway system every day ― the largest share among all modes of transportation.
Also, Seoul's subway system is truly underground. Seventy percent of the routes are subsurface, and the underground spaces are also used for pedestrian walkways, shopping and dining.
The heavy reliance on the subway for urban public transportation is not particularly surprising in Korea, where the population density is one of the highest in the world and more than three-quarters of its land is so mountainous that urban development is virtually impossible.
What is surprising, however, is the fact that its high level of services (clean and quiet trains, a frequent schedule with journeys as short as two minutes, and the dense network reaching many destinations across the metropolitan area) are provided at a relatively modest fare. The current base f
May 14, 2010
