Summer Vacation Subway Trends: Youth Flock to Hongdae, Children to Jamsil, and Foreign Visitors to Myeongdong

Ichon Station Records 257.8% Surge in Child Passengers

During the summer vacation, Seoul Metro stations showed clear differences in passenger concentration depending on the user group. Youth passenger numbers increased the most at Hongik University Station, children at Jamsil Station, and foreign tourists at Myeongdong Station.

Seoul Metro announced on the 21st that it compared passenger boarding statistics for about one month each during the summer vacation period (July 18 to August 17) and during the academic semester (March 18 to April 17), and analyzed the top 10 stations where youth, children, and foreign passengers increased the most.

Foreign tourists making memories in Myeongdong. Yonhap News Agency.

The number of youth passengers at Hongik University Station rose from 114,711 during the semester to 173,429 in the vacation period, an increase of 58,718 (51.2%). This was the largest increase among all stations. Jamsil Station followed with an increase of 36,339, while Seoul Station (23,867), Express Bus Terminal Station (19,784), and Gangnam Station (18,619) also saw significant rises.

For child passengers, Jamsil Station saw an increase from 24,527 during the semester to 47,938 in the vacation period, a rise of 23,411 (95.4%), making it the top station for increased child usage. Ichon Station, home to the National Museum of Korea, recorded the highest percentage increase, growing from 7,856 to 28,108, an increase of 20,252 (257.8%). Usage by children surged mainly at stations near cultural and experiential facilities.

Foreign passenger numbers saw the highest increase at Myeongdong Station, rising from 39,573 during the semester to 47,311 in the vacation period, a boost of 7,738 (19.6%). This was followed by Hongik University Station (up 7,059 or 27.3%), Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station (up 6,355 or 27.1%), and Seongsu Station (up 6,053 or 34.3%). Usage also grew at stations around major tourist destinations, such as Chungmuro, City Hall, and Dongdaemun.

Ma Haegeun, Head of Operations at Seoul Metro, stated, "The data on subway usage during the vacation period confirms that the travel patterns of youth, children, and foreign nationals vary significantly by station," adding, "We will continue to closely monitor shifting demand and enhance congestion management and multilingual guidance at busy stations to ensure everyone can use the subway safely and conveniently."

The corporation will continue to analyze subway usage patterns to identify seasonal and group-specific mobility characteristics, utilizing this data as a foundational resource for improving crowd management, enhancing multilingual service, and upgrading overall station operations and passenger convenience.

Meanwhile, the corporation also introduced some recommended downtown outings accessible via the subway for the late summer season. These include Byeokun Valley near Suraksan Station on Line 7, Sillim Valley at Gwanaksan Mountain near Sillim Station on Line 2, Suseong-dong Valley near Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3, and the hiking trails leading to Dobongsan Mountain connecting from Dobongsan Station on Lines 1 and 7.

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