Subway Public Ad Slogans

By Lee Sun-ho

Upon becoming a so-called ``ggong" (subway free riders over the age of 65 in Korea) generation, I have been enjoying riding the tube on Seoul Metro's 1~4 lines and Seoul Metropolitan Transit System's 5~8 lines in Seoul and its suburbs, avoiding many of the burdens of driving myself.

I usually opt to sit away from seats reserved for the elderly to look at diverse sorts of public announcements posted on the subway.

Let me highlight a couple of them that caught my eye as model examples of a free dictionary for the general public and the nation at large.

There are four reserved three-person seats located in the corners of subway cars. Some noticeable images can be seen above them; an outline of a wheelchair for the disabled, a human shape with a cane for the elderly and a potbellied woman for pregnant women. A sign says ``These seats are reserved not only for those current protected riders but also for those over 50 years old.'' It asserts that subway seats become happy spaces once riders take good care of others' needs and wants as necessary, irrespective of age, gender, color or other distinctions.

Another pragmatic line I read on a train sign was ``Senior citizens' are estimated to account for 27.3 percent of the population in 2050. Let's think together of the pleasure of having babies in conjunction with the future of our fatherland," referring to a KORAIL public slogan chosen by Korea Broadcasting Advertising Corp. (KOBACO) in 2005 as the public service announcement best reflecting public interests, awakening in the masses of subway passengers an insidious part of our lives: problems due to the increasing presence of senior citizens ― ggong ― in our society and the ever-decreasing birthrate.

Subway public ad slogans, as repetitive expressions of an idea or purpose, vary, from the written and visual to the chanted and the vulgar masses. They must persuade the majority of subway passengers to solve serious social problems methodically and proactively for the sake of national interests.

The true aim of public slogans should be to guard hearts and minds for the sake of public interest and aim at mastery-oriented responses, instead of helpless ones. Wishful catchphrases and mottos should be witty, easy to understand, and, of course, crisp, simple, and direct, and create warm, positive feelings and images for every single subway rider.

I presume that there might be many public interest slogans appealing to individual desires and vying for public attention, appealing to common well-being and general welfare. There must be a consensus on what exactly constitutes public interest. No one will like every advertisement and public service announcement they see. I believe, however, that the number of people who find subway public ad slogans questionable and inappropriate is small.

As a ggong, I think a better image of subway public ad slogans, appealing to the rights and interests of all kinds of commuters, is a step in the right direction. Such slogans should not only to bring showers of rain to aged subway riders but also offer flowers to pregnant women and brides-to-be.

The favorable public mottoes and catchphrases displayed in mass transportation evolve to create a distinctive life of their own by making the masses of subway riders feel good and want to achieve what the public ad slogans encourage them to.

The writer is the representative consultant of Sang-G Business Consulting in Seoul. He can be reached at kexim2@unitel.co.kr.