The lost-item home delivery service — a first among domestic urban rail operators — earns recognition for easing citizen inconvenience
Recipients can collect belongings at home, work or any preferred location without visiting a lost-and-found center
Seoul Metro said its lost-item home delivery service — the first of its kind among domestic urban rail operators — won the grand prize in the public innovation category at the 2026 Korea Local Government Awards, organized by the Korean Association for Local Government Studies, on Thursday.
Recipients were selected through a comprehensive evaluation of contributions to local government development, achievements in administration, legislation and civil society, and the performance of public enterprises in regional innovation, community partnership and ESG.
With more than 160,000 lost items reported on Seoul's subway lines last year alone, the service was recognized for translating a common citizen inconvenience into a tangible service improvement and for expanding contactless options for reclaiming lost property.
The service allows passengers who have lost items on the subway to receive them at a location of their choice — such as their home or workplace — without visiting a lost-and-found center in person. It was introduced to reduce the time and travel burden on office workers who cannot visit the center on weekdays, as well as on residents outside Seoul who would otherwise have to make a return trip to the city.
Seoul Metro had already introduced a locker-based retrieval service last year, allowing passengers to collect lost items from storage lockers at a station of their choice. In July, it expanded the offering further with the home delivery option.
The service has drawn a positive response from users, with eight commendation messages filed in its praise. Riders have particularly welcomed the reduction in travel time and the convenience of receiving their belongings wherever they choose.
Other rail operators have also expressed interest in how the service works, and the initiative — born from an everyday inconvenience — is showing signs of broader adoption as a new model for lost-item retrieval.
"This award recognizes our efforts to pay close attention to the small inconveniences citizens face in their daily lives and turn them into real service improvements," said Ma Hae-geun, head of Seoul Metro's operations division. "We will continue to listen to citizens and develop lifestyle-oriented services that bring meaningful change to everyday life."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
