The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Revenge rises as key theme in K-dramas

  • 3

    Zebra captured after escaping from Seoul zoo

  • 5

    Korean firms balk at donating to fund compensating victims of Japan's forced labor

  • 7

    World water day

  • 9

    Main opposition leader indicted, faces calls to resign

  • 11

    Jeon Jong-seo discusses her first Hollywood role in 'Mona Lisa and Blood Moon'

  • 13

    Apple working on expanding Apple Pay service in Korea: senior executive

  • 15

    Sandstorm from China forecast to push up fine dust levels in Korea

  • 17

    Campaign launched to promote equal treatment for multicultural families

  • 19

    Hyundai Heavy achieves world's first 200 million BHP milestone

  • 2

    INTERVIEWKorean adoptee in Germany reunites with birth family after 42 years

  • 4

    Consumers choose to travel abroad over purchasing luxury goods

  • 6

    Sexual assaults by Korean diplomats continue despite zero-tolerance policy

  • 8

    Outback Steakhouse sees sales soar as it opens stores in large shopping malls

  • 10

    Samsung, SK avoid worst-case scenario as US 'guardrails' are less stringent than feared

  • 12

    Korean pension fund hit by overseas banking crisis

  • 14

    Childbirths sink 6% to fresh low in January

  • 16

    Will exempting foreign nannies from minimum wage boost Korea's birth rate?

  • 18

    Investment banks compete for HMM sale advisory roles

  • 20

    INTERVIEWRetired FSC chief finds inspiration exploring Koreans' ancestral roots

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Fri, March 24, 2023 | 08:10
Society
Crowded subways trigger anxiety after Itaewon disaster
Posted : 2022-11-02 08:41
Updated : 2022-11-02 16:44
Lee Hyo-jin
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
A platform at Gimpo Airport Station on Seoul Metro Line 9 is crowded with morning commuters, Feb. 4, 2021. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hun
A platform at Gimpo Airport Station on Seoul Metro Line 9 is crowded with morning commuters, Feb. 4, 2021. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hun

By Lee Hyo-jin

A 30-year-old office worker surnamed Lee, who travels on Seoul Metro Line 9 in her morning commute from Dangsan Station to Sinnonhyeon Station, got off the train midway on Monday morning, feeling shortness of breath.

"I couldn't breathe. It's not the first time I felt like I was suffocating during my morning subway ride, but it was so serious, like a panic attack," she said. Lee rides the express train on Line 9 which is infamous for its overcrowding during rush hour.

As people kept cramming into the already-packed train, Lee couldn't stop imagining what it would have been like during the deadly crowd surge at Itaewon two days earlier.

"Even though I wasn't there that night, I felt something dreadful like that could happen on the subway, too."

On the night of Oct. 29, disaster struck people crowded into a narrow, sloped alley in central Seoul's Itaewon, resulting in at least 156 deaths and 151 injuries, as of Tuesday. Thousands of people who were out celebrating Halloween had been squeezed into the tight alley.

The deadliest crowd accident in the country's history seems to be affecting peoples' daily lives. Koreans, who have become so used to urban density and overcrowding in the streets, are now suddenly mindful of how dangerous these conditions can be.

According to 2021 data from Seoul Metro, the average density during morning rush hour between Noryangjin and Dongjak stations on Line 9 ― one of the most packed areas ― was measured at 185 percent. If the density level surpasses 150 percent, passengers cannot move freely in the train at all.

Referred to as "hell" by commuters, people in packed subways are squashed up against one another, unable to move freely. Small fights break out as they jostle their way in or out of the train, while some passengers just fail to get off at their stops.

"Subways in Seoul are so packed that it may lead to breathing difficulties or panic attacks for some passengers. But we've gotten used to the high density in our daily lives," said Park Cheong-woong, a professor of safety management at Sejong Cyber University.

Lee Song-kyu, head of the Safety Professional Association of Korea, warned that unexpected crowd disasters may occur at any large gatherings or events.

"I wouldn't say there's a big chance crammed subways would lead to a serious crowd crush. But I do think that the Itaewon tragedy has shown us that crowd disasters can happen unexpectedly in day-to-day places and thus the local authorities, as well as regular people, should remain vigilant about it," he said.


Emaillhj@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1[INTERVIEW] Korean adoptee in Germany reunites with birth family after 42 years INTERVIEWKorean adoptee in Germany reunites with birth family after 42 years
2Will exempting foreign nannies from minimum wage boost Korea's birth rate? Will exempting foreign nannies from minimum wage boost Korea's birth rate?
3Retailers rush to adopt Apple Pay system Retailers rush to adopt Apple Pay system
4Daughter of North Korean dictator seen wearing $1,900 Dior jacket Daughter of North Korean dictator seen wearing $1,900 Dior jacket
5[INTERVIEW] Expert pitches Laotian rural reform to solve NK's chronic food shortages INTERVIEWExpert pitches Laotian rural reform to solve NK's chronic food shortages
6Will Apple Pay launch boost local iPhone sales? Will Apple Pay launch boost local iPhone sales?
7[INTERVIEW] Forbes-listed entrepreneur pursues partnerships with Samsung, LG, SK to help Ukraine INTERVIEWForbes-listed entrepreneur pursues partnerships with Samsung, LG, SK to help Ukraine
8[INTERVIEW] 'Welcome to world of art therapy' INTERVIEW'Welcome to world of art therapy'
9Korea to start mass production of KF-21 in 2024 Korea to start mass production of KF-21 in 2024
10Indonesian students advise Korean bank on entering Indonesian market Indonesian students advise Korean bank on entering Indonesian market
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Revenge rises as key theme in K-dramas Revenge rises as key theme in K-dramas
2Jeon Jong-seo discusses her first Hollywood role in 'Mona Lisa and Blood Moon' Jeon Jong-seo discusses her first Hollywood role in 'Mona Lisa and Blood Moon'
3SF9's Jaeyoon starts mandatory military service SF9's Jaeyoon starts mandatory military service
4Yoo Yeon-seok threatens to sue people spreading accusations about him Yoo Yeon-seok threatens to sue people spreading accusations about him
5Lee Som, Ahn Jae-hong to play married couple in Tving's new series Lee Som, Ahn Jae-hong to play married couple in Tving's new series
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group