Public concern over reckless boarding and alighting behavior has grown after a video of a passenger jamming an umbrella into a subway door at Seolleung Station on Line 2 went viral, with many viewers warning the act "could easily lead to a serious accident" and calling it "dangerous behavior."
The agency held a safety campaign at Cheonho Station on Line 5 on Wednesday to prevent accidents caused by forcing entry or exit through closing doors; passengers are urged to wait for the next train when the automated announcement sounds or the door-side lamp begins to flash.
Seoul Metro (president Kim Tae-gyun) said it held a safety campaign at Cheonho Station on Wednesday to prevent door-entrapment accidents caused by passengers forcing their way onto or off trains.
The campaign was organized to raise public awareness of safe boarding and alighting practices and to promote understanding of door safety rules.
Seoul Metro informed passengers that an automated announcement plays before train doors close and that the door-side lamps flash orange as a warning. The agency also urged riders who hear the announcement or see the lamps flashing not to force their way on board but to wait for the next train.
Jamming one's body or belongings into closing doors is prohibited under the Railway Safety Act.
Article 48, Paragraph 9 of the act — which governs prohibited acts for the protection of railways and the maintenance of order — bans boarding or alighting while a train is in motion, as well as obstructing the opening and closing of passenger doors without justifiable cause in a manner that disrupts train operations.
Of the 3,666 rail cars currently in service, 1,498 are equipped with door-side lamps that indicate whether doors are closing. Seoul Metro plans to increase that number as older cars are replaced with newer models.
Forcing one's body or belongings into closing doors endangers not only the individual but also nearby passengers, and can delay other trains by disrupting operations.
Blocking doors with a hand or umbrella, or sprinting to board at the last moment, may seem trivial in the moment but carries a high risk of escalating into serious incidents — including foot entrapments, falls and collisions between passengers.
Door-entrapment accidents accounted for 988 of the 2,966 incidents recorded at Seoul Metro-operated stations over the past five years (2021–2025), making up more than 30 percent of all subway accidents.
"Waiting a moment for the next train instead of forcing your way through closing doors is the first step toward safety," said Ma Hae-geun, Seoul Metro's head of operations. "A single small safety habit protects everyone. We will do our best to help establish a culture where people choose to ride the next train safely rather than rush for a few extra seconds."
Public concern over reckless boarding and alighting behavior has grown after a video of a passenger jamming an umbrella into a subway door at Seolleung Station on Line 2 went viral, with many viewers warning the act "could easily lead to a serious accident" and calling it "dangerous behavior."
Seoul Metro (president Kim Tae-gyun) said it held a safety campaign at Cheonho Station on Wednesday to prevent door-entrapment accidents caused by passengers forcing their way onto or off trains.
The campaign was organized to raise public awareness of safe boarding and alighting practices and to promote understanding of door safety rules.
Seoul Metro informed passengers that an automated announcement plays before train doors close and that the door-side lamps flash orange as a warning. The agency also urged riders who hear the announcement or see the lamps flashing not to force their way on board but to wait for the next train.
Jamming one's body or belongings into closing doors is prohibited under the Railway Safety Act.
Article 48, Paragraph 9 of the act — which governs prohibited acts for the protection of railways and the maintenance of order — bans boarding or alighting while a train is in motion, as well as obstructing the opening and closing of passenger doors without justifiable cause in a manner that disrupts train operations.
Of the 3,666 rail cars currently in service, 1,498 are equipped with door-side lamps that indicate whether doors are closing. Seoul Metro plans to increase that number as older cars are replaced with newer models.
Forcing one's body or belongings into closing doors endangers not only the individual but also nearby passengers, and can delay other trains by disrupting operations.
Blocking doors with a hand or umbrella, or sprinting to board at the last moment, may seem trivial in the moment but carries a high risk of escalating into serious incidents — including foot entrapments, falls and collisions between passengers.
Door-entrapment accidents accounted for 988 of the 2,966 incidents recorded at Seoul Metro-operated stations over the past five years (2021–2025), making up more than 30 percent of all subway accidents.
"Waiting a moment for the next train instead of forcing your way through closing doors is the first step toward safety," said Ma Hae-geun, Seoul Metro's head of operations. "A single small safety habit protects everyone. We will do our best to help establish a culture where people choose to ride the next train safely rather than rush for a few extra seconds."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
