Ministry of Interior and Safety forum finds public prefers 'safe use' over 'fast movement'; three-point safety rules to replace uniform campaign

Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung delivers opening remarks at a public forum on escalator safety held at Yonsei University's Baekyang Nuri in Seoul on Aug. 29. [Ministry of Interior and Safety]
Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung delivers opening remarks at a public forum on escalator safety held at Yonsei University's Baekyang Nuri in Seoul on Aug. 29. [Ministry of Interior and Safety]

South Korea's Ministry of Interior and Safety is moving away from its "two-line standing" escalator campaign, shifting focus instead to spreading a safety culture built around three core rules — chief among them, not walking or running on escalators.

The ministry announced Wednesday that it would pursue follow-up measures based on the results of a public forum on improving escalator safety culture, held Aug. 29 at Yonsei University's Baekyang Nuri in Seoul with about 200 members of the public and industry experts in attendance.

The forum featured expert presentations and public panel discussions on topics including the causes of escalator accidents, user behavior, equipment and maintenance issues, and regulatory reform.

Experts said that single-file and two-abreast standing are currently used in roughly equal measure on escalators, and that individual travel efficiency does not necessarily align with overall efficiency for all users.

They also raised concerns that walking on escalators increases the impact on steps and can strain equipment, and that maintenance delays caused by parts supply imbalances compound the problem.

Public participants, divided into 25 breakout groups, proposed encouraging people with large bags to use elevators instead, and fostering a culture of waiting rather than asking others to step aside.

Other suggestions included improving handrail hygiene to encourage people to hold on, providing guidance on alternative routes, and installing signs discouraging mobile phone use as well as floor lighting to improve safety.

Surveys conducted before and after the forum showed a clear shift in public opinion: the share of respondents preferring "fast movement" fell 13.4 percentage points, from 36.6 percent to 23.2 percent, while those preferring "safe use" rose by the same margin, from 63.4 percent to 76.8 percent.

Support for two-abreast standing rose 14.5 percentage points, from 31.4 percent to 45.9 percent, while preference for single-file standing or flexible, situation-dependent use fell from 67.6 percent to 52.1 percent.

Reflecting the forum's findings, the ministry said it would revise its first basic plan for elevator safety management, replacing the goal of "establishing a two-line standing culture for safe escalator use" with "establishing a voluntary safety culture through the adoption of three safety rules and improvements to the user environment."

Uniform two-line standing campaigns and regulations will no longer be pursued. However, the ministry said it would station public workers or volunteers at high-risk sections — those with long travel distances or heavy foot traffic — to support safe use.

The ministry plans to produce public service announcements and short videos centered on the three safety rules — holding the handrail, not walking or running, and staying within the safety line — and to expand safety education targeting children and the elderly.

It also plans to improve the user environment by installing handrail sanitizers and expanding floor markings and safety signage.

Park Hyeong-bae, director general of the ministry's Safety Prevention Policy Bureau, said the ministry would do its best to incorporate the public's input into policy so that escalators become a safer and more convenient mode of transport. "We also ask the public to join us in practicing the three safety rules so that a voluntary safety culture can take root," he said.


thlee@heraldcorp.com