Stand on both sides: 49.9% vs. stand on one side: 50.1%

Those who stand on both sides cite safety; those who walk cite courtesy to people in a hurry

An escalator at a subway station. [Yonhap]
An escalator at a subway station. [Yonhap]

As the government moves to open a public debate on escalator etiquette, a new survey shows South Koreans are almost evenly split on how they actually use escalators.

According to pre-discussion materials released by the Ministry of Interior and Safety ahead of a public forum Thursday, a survey of 1,000 adults in seven major cities found that 49.9 percent said they normally stand still on escalators using both sides, while 50.1 percent said they stand on one side and walk on the other.

Among those who prefer standing on both sides, 42.4 percent cited safety as their main reason. Among those who walk on one side, 40.1 percent said they do so out of consideration for people who want to move faster.

However, current regulations require that escalator users not walk or run while riding.

Escalator etiquette policy has changed several times over the years. A single-file standing culture was introduced between 1998 and 2008 and spread nationwide following the 2002 World Cup.

As safety and maintenance concerns emerged, a stand-on-both-sides campaign ran from 2009 to 2014. Since 2015, authorities have recommended three core safety rules: hold the handrail, do not walk or run, and stay within the safety line.

The survey also found that most escalator accidents result from user error.

Of 931 escalator accidents recorded between 1993 and 2025, 72.3 percent were caused by user negligence. The accidents left 582 people seriously injured and 22 dead, meaning serious injuries and fatalities accounted for 65 percent of all cases.

Escalator etiquette is not uniform abroad, either.

Japan, Singapore and parts of the United Kingdom favor standing on one side. London, Canada, parts of Australia and France, by contrast, encourage standing on both sides. China and Hong Kong operate mixed systems depending on congestion levels and time of day.

Drawing on the survey findings and accident data, the Ministry of Interior and Safety plans to hold a public forum Saturday to gather public opinion on safe escalator use.


notstrong@heraldcorp.com