"It's Just Normal in Korea" Foreigners Marvel at Seoul Subway, Hailed as "Hypermodern"

CNN Highlights Seoul Subway
Praised for Its Advanced Technology, Cleanliness, and Safety

The subway is more than just a means of transportation; it is essential infrastructure that supports a city's growth and everyday life. CNN, the U.S. news network, praised the cleanliness, safety, efficiency and advanced technology of Seoul's subway while highlighting subway systems around the world. It pointed to the uninterrupted access to mobile phone calls and the internet underground, as well as the ability to watch TV inside subway cars, citing Seoul's subway as an example of the features of a hypermodern city.

Seoul's scenery. Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Seoul Subway Combines Convenience and Efficiency

On the 18th, CNN highlighted 18 of the world's leading subway systems and hailed Seoul's subway as a top-tier public transportation system. CNN noted that passengers can make calls and use mobile internet without interruptions, even in underground tunnels and deep below ground in stations. Real-time TV screens installed inside subway cars are a striking example of the hypermodern character of an advanced digital powerhouse.

CNN also praised the subway's comfortable heating and cooling systems, as well as heated seats that keep passengers warm during harsh winters, calling them the pinnacle of passenger care. It said Seoul's subway is "spotlessly clean, efficient and safe, with reasonable fares and an extensive network connecting the entire city," adding that "it is only natural that many transportation experts around the world consider Seoul to have the best subway system in the world."

A subway train runs across Dongho Bridge in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

From Hong Kong's "99.9% Punctuality" to Tokyo's "Packed Trains"

Major metro systems around the world each boast their own distinctive strengths and characteristics. Despite the geographic challenges of a dense population around its harbor and mountainous terrain, Hong Kong's MTR delivers remarkable efficiency. It boasts an impressive punctuality rate of 99.9%, drawing the envy of the global rail industry. And its success is not limited to Hong Kong: the company has expanded into markets around the world, including mainland China, London's Elizabeth line in the United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia, exporting its operational expertise.

Shinkansen platform at Tokyo Station in Japan. Kyodo-Yonhap News.

By contrast, Tokyo's subway is notorious for severe overcrowding. Trains run constantly according to precise timetables, but some lines operate at more than 200% of their designed capacity, resulting in extreme crowding. The striking sight of oshiya, or "pushers" - staff whose job is to push passengers into train cars during rush hour - has become a symbol of Tokyo's subway.

London, Paris and Berlin: Metros Steeped in History and Culture

London's Underground, which opened the door to a new era in 1863 by taking steam locomotives underground for the first time in the world, has become a global pop-culture icon as well as a means of transportation. Even amid its narrow, aging tunnels from the Victorian era, the London Underground embodies the history of the city's development.

The Paris Metro, which opened in 1900 and is known for its beautiful Art Nouveau entrances, also captures the city's artistic spirit and is beloved around the world. Meanwhile, Berlin's U-Bahn, with its 124-year-long and tumultuous history, has witnessed the pain of Germany's division into East and West as well as the realities of the Cold War. The metros of Beijing and Shanghai in China, known for their vast networks and some of the world's busiest routes, are also playing a vital role in driving the growth of these megacities.

CNN also highlighted the Copenhagen Metro, which operates 24 hours a day; the Moscow Metro, known for its historic architecture; and the Kyiv Metro, which also serves as a shelter for civilians during wartime.

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