Subway

The subway in Seoul has essentially transformed me into a gopher. As a Seoulite, most days a week I burrow underground and pop up in an entirely new area of the city. I could be anywhere, for all I know. And in fact I actually am since the subway gets me almost anyplace I need to be.

The subway is by far my favorite way to travel, despite an intricate bus system and cheap cabs. The Seoul subway puts the DC Metro to shame.  The cars are cleaner and wider and feature TVs to advertise all sorts of things, such as the bug festival.  The ride is also smoother and I hardly need to hold on, even though handles are plentiful. Seats can sometimes be hard to come by but there is almost always an abundance of standing room.  A small section of seating on each car is reserved for the elderly, disabled, and pregnant.  Most people pass the time on their smartphones, though there is a number of people who are passed out.  As far as I can tell, they always wake up in time for their stop.

The subway stations are huge. My Mok-Dong station has a Dunkin Donuts in it. In fact, most stations have a variety of convenience marts, clothing and electronics shops.  I almost bought a pair of shoes in a subway station last week while Gangnam Station is actually a shopping destination in itself. There is whole other Korea you'd miss if you don't spend time underground.

The lines are numbered and colored and because the stations are so big, the exits are numbered as well.  Getting out at exit 1 could put you someplace very different than exit 9.  For the bigger stations, it is very useful to know what exit to take.  Every station features a few maps to help you decide in case you don’t already have directions.  In my two weeks of experience, the subway has been able to take me any place I want to go.  It will even take me to the base of mountains in national parks. 

The platforms are very long and provide lots of information about when the next trains are coming.  There is always a Romanized translation of the signs in the subway, making subway navigation seamless.  It is impossible to fall into the subway tracks since they are protected by a large glass wall with doors that open when the train pulls into the station.  Also, for safety, each station contains a number of gas masks.  Cause for concern...?

On top of all these amenities, the subway here is also much cheaper than in DC, coming out to around $1 per way.  T-money cards are the Korean version of DC’s SmartCard, but can also be used for buses, cabs, and even some shops.  There is even a chip on some credit cards you can use as a your T-money card if you want to cut down on plastic rectangles in your wallet, but it does require a $30 refundable deposit.

Jihachul is a smartphone app that complements the subway experience very nicely.  It contains an interactive map to select departing and arriving stations and tells you how long it will take based on the current position of the trains, how many stops, how much it costs, the fastest way or the way with fewest stops, what side the car doors open, and which car and door numbers to exit.  I’ve been enjoying Korean technology, to say the least!

On top of all this convenience, fun things just happen on subways. There is great people-watching to be had and I have had a share of interesting conversations with friendly English-speaking Seoulites. Striking up a conversation with a young Korean man in a Washington, D.C. sweatshirt led to a dinner date a few weeks later. Despite a 12am closing time, I have still witnessed a fair share of inebriated travelers and, on a rare occasion, a pile of vomit known as a 'kimchi pancake.' I usually enjoy my transit time reading an ebook from the Arlington Public Library. Even a 45 minute train ride to the other side of the city is always enjoyable. I challenge the US to make public transit this much fun!

 A fairly uncrowded train

 The Seoul subway map