Commuters in Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – A vast majority of Seoul residents engage in recreational activities such as watching videos while they’re traveling to work or school. Most of them think it’s a good way to spend their time, and it’s worth around 5,000 to 9,000 won per hour when you add it up each month.
This data comes from a report by the Seoul Institute, a group that studies city problems and helps the government craft policies to address these issues.
In a survey of 550 people commuting during rush hour, 82.3 percent said they engage in recreational activities like watching videos, listening to music, or using social media while they’re on the move. A smaller group, around 12.8 percent, said they use the time for things like work or studying.
Most respondents, about 58.2 percent, said they find their commute time useful, while only 10.4 percent said it’s not useful.
Of the people who found this time useful, the proportion of subway riders was the highest at 63 percent, followed by 57.2 percent of bus riders and 55.7 percent of people driving cars.
In another survey of 1,000 Seoul residents, the data showed that the value of activities during a commute was the highest for people in cars at 9,278 won per hour each month. Subway riders valued their time at 7,963 won per hour, and bus riders rated it at 5,475 won per hour.
Commuters in Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The report said that people prefer doing things in cars because they’re comfortable and private, even if you can’t do as much. Subways are better for staying focused and efficient.
When they looked at both fun and productive things people do while traveling, the fun things were worth more on average. Watching videos and listening to music were the most valuable.
The researchers also found that people were more willing to pay for entertainment on crowded buses compared to empty ones. On the other hand, when the subway is not crowded, people find it easier to do things and enjoy their time.
The report suggests that subway operators should make it even easier for people to do activities like improving Wi-Fi or putting interesting content on screens. For buses, the interior should be nicer for people to be active during their trip.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
