When 23-year-old Filipino Reyshenne Layug moved to Seoul in 2015, she was most worried about how to find her way around the city, especially since she could not speak Korean. But her concerns were soon eased by the subway, which she quickly found was easy to navigate.
She said, “I was pleasantly surprised when I saw English signs in the stations. I thought that was very helpful and they put me at ease straightaway.”
Layug, who studies at a language institute, was impressed by the subway’s extensive coverage. “In the Philippines, there is just the Metro Manila and it is very limited, with too few stations. In Seoul, the subway gets you where you want to go,” said Layug.
(Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit)
Overall, foreign tourists and residents usually consider Korea’s subway accessible and user-friendly, although they are sometimes shocked by the etiquette on trains.
Singaporean Yi Xian Wen, 27, who visited Seoul in May, said, “Many people tend to sit very close or shove unnecessarily to get off the train.”
She also noticed that information booths in the subway did not seem to be manned, making it difficult to seek help. “In Singapore you can go immediately to the control stations and they will help you. In Seoul, I went to the wrong platform and had to go to the opposite side so I pressed a ‘help’ button on the fare gate and someone opened it for me -- I guess it happens often.” said Yi.
Other bugbears highlighted by foreign tourists and residents include the long distance between platforms when transferring lines, the lack of escalators and the lengthy intervals between train arrivals, which can sometimes be up to 20 minutes on certain lines.
As for the cost, those from Hong Kong and America said that the fare here is roughly similar to what they pay back home, with slight differences.
(Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit)
“For mid-to-long distances, the cost is quite similar, but for short distances -- one or two stations -- it is super expensive compared to Hong Kong, where the fare is around 690 won (60 cents) to 3,900 won,” said Cindy Li, a 29-year-old student who moved here in 2015.
Amanda Sheffield, 27, an American teacher who moved here three months ago, agreed.
She said, “The base price (here) can get you really far. However, it is the same base price for a short distance which can sometimes make it feel pricey if (you use the subway) frequently for a short distance.”
In San Diego and near San Francisco, where Sheffield lived, the base subway fare is around $2.50 and $2.25 respectively, she added.
Despite such differences, foreigners here were generally impressed by some features of Seoul’s subway, including the screens that show you the location of the next train.
For some foreign residents, the subway is their preferred means of transport because of its convenience and comfortable journeys, although it seems to have grown more crowded over the years.
Master’s graduate Emily Wang, 27, a Chinese who has lived here for eight years, said, “In the past, the trains were mostly crowded only during peak hours and it would be easy to get seats in the afternoons, but now there are fewer seats even then. Buses tend to be very bumpy and give me motion sickness -- especially because some bus drivers start moving almost immediately once you board. I prefer the subway because its journeys are smoother.”
By Cheryl Faith Wee (
cherylw@heraldcorp.com)