"I've Lost Something Too" An Average of 460 Items Lost Daily on the Subway... What Do People Lose the Most?

Wallets, Clothing, and Bags Top the List... Up 10% from Last Year
Cash Worth 580 Million Won Found... More Than Half Returned to Owners

The number of lost items reported in the Seoul subway exceeded 160,000 last year, averaging about 460 cases per day. Wallets, clothing, and bags were the most commonly lost items, and the value of cash lost was also estimated to be several hundred million won.

Citizens waiting for the subway. Photo by The Asia Business Daily database

According to an analysis of 2025 subway lost-and-found statistics released by Seoul Metro Corporation on March 25, a total of 167,738 lost items were reported last year. This averages about 460 cases per day, representing an increase of approximately 10% compared to the previous year (152,540 cases).

By item, wallets were the most frequently lost with 36,387 cases, followed by clothing (27,226 cases), bags (20,662 cases), mobile phones (19,966 cases), and valuables (11,064 cases). Compared to the previous year, the number of lost clothing and valuables increased by 16% and 26%, respectively.

The amount of cash found in the subway also reached several hundred million won. Last year, a total of 580.9 million won in cash was recovered as lost property, of which 439.6 million won was returned to the owners. The remaining 141.3 million won was handed over to the police as the owners did not come forward.

By station, the highest number of lost items reported last year was at Banghwa Station (8,943 cases), followed by Yangcheon-gu Office Station (6,121 cases), Bonghwasan Station (4,724 cases), Ogeum Station (3,932 cases), and Bulamsan Station (3,637 cases). These stations are all terminal stations for their respective lines, and it is analyzed that lost items are concentrated there because staff conduct final inspections of train interiors before the trains enter the depots.

Infographic on Lost Items in Seoul Subway 2025. Seoul Metro Corporation

The types of lost items were also diverse. On weekends when marathon events were held, large amounts of event souvenirs were reported as lost, and at Ichon Station, there was an instance where souvenirs from the National Museum of Korea—which had once caused a "sold out craze"—were found as lost property. At Seoul Station, which has a train terminal, breads from a famous bakery in Daejeon were also reported as lost, among other various items.

According to Seoul Metro Corporation, 86,224 items (51.4%) of the lost property reported last year were returned to their owners. Another 50,474 cases (30.1%) were transferred to the police, and the rest are still in storage.

Lost items received at each station are registered on the "Police Civil Service 24" website. If you lose an item on the subway, you can check the website, or contact the nearest Seoul Metro customer safety office or customer service center (1577-1234).

The company operates services that allow lost items to be retrieved from storage lockers, and from June this year, it also plans to introduce a service that delivers lost items to the address specified by the customer.

Ma Haekeun, Head of Sales at Seoul Metro Corporation, said, "Lost items in the subway reflect the daily lives and movement patterns of citizens," adding, "We will expand various convenient services so that citizens can more easily recover lost property."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.