Seoul Metro analyzed ridership data for teenagers, children and foreign visitors across its network and found that the stations recording the biggest gains during summer vacation differed sharply depending on passenger type.
The analysis compared approximately one month of boarding figures during the summer vacation period — July 18 through Aug. 17 — against the spring semester period of March 18 through April 17.
Teenagers flocked to Hongik University and Jamsil stations during the break, while children concentrated at Jamsil and Ichon. Foreign visitors posted broad gains across major Seoul tourism hubs including Myeong-dong, Hongik University Station and Euljiro 1-ga Station. Ichon Station, the stop nearest the National Museum of Korea, stood out in particular: child boardings rose 257.8% compared with the semester period.
Among teenagers, Hongik University Station recorded the largest absolute gain, rising from 114,711 boardings during the semester to 173,429 during the vacation — an increase of 58,718, or 51.2%. Jamsil Station added 36,339 teen boardings, followed by Seoul Station with 23,867, Express Bus Terminal with 19,784 and Gangnam Station with 18,619.
For children, Jamsil Station led all gains, climbing from 24,527 boardings during the semester to 47,938 during vacation — an increase of 23,411, or 95.4%. Ichon Station also stood out, rising from 7,856 to 28,108 boardings, a gain of 20,252 and a 257.8% increase, reflecting strong demand at stations near cultural and experiential attractions.
Foreign visitor ridership was highest at Myeong-dong Station, which rose from 39,573 boardings during the semester to 47,311 during vacation, a gain of 7,738, or 19.6%. Hongik University Station added 7,059 foreign boardings (up 27.3%), Euljiro 1-ga Station gained 6,355 (up 27.1%) and Seongsu Station rose by 6,053 (up 34.3%). Chungmuro, City Hall and Dongdaemun stations also recorded increases.
Seoul Metro plans to continue monitoring ridership patterns to track how different passenger groups move at different times of year, using the findings as a basis for improving crowd management, multilingual guidance and overall station operations.
With summer vacation drawing to a close, several nature spots remain accessible by subway for a late-summer outing. Byeogun Valley near Suraksan Station on Line 7 offers wooden deck walkways suited for strolling and light hiking, while Sillim Valley on Gwanaksan near Sillim Station on Line 2 combines a stream with surrounding forest trails, making it a popular destination for families.
Suseong Valley near Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3 connects to the Inwangsan hiking trail, allowing visitors to enjoy both the stream and a walk through the hills. The Dobongsan trail, accessible from Dobongsan Station on Lines 1 and 7, is easy to reach by public transit and well suited for a gentle hike as the late-summer heat begins to ease.
Ma Hae-geun, head of Seoul Metro's operations division, said the vacation-period data confirmed that teenagers, children and foreign visitors each move through the network in distinctly different ways depending on the station. "We will continue to monitor shifting travel demand closely and strengthen crowd management and multilingual services at the busiest stations so that everyone can use the subway safely and conveniently," he said.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
