This July 4, 2023 photo shows people waiting for a train at a subway station in western Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 10 (Korea Bizwire) — As the number of Seoul subway passengers increases with the return to normal life after the pandemic, complaints about hot or cold subway cars have also surged.
According to Seoul Metro, the city-run operator of the subway system in Seoul, there were 254,965 complaints about temperature conditions reported to its complaint center during the first five months of this year, a 59.9 percent increase from a year ago.
The number of such complaints notably increased in April, when the weather usually starts getting warm.
During this period, the number of complaints about “hot” conditions rose by 60.2 percent, from 139,947 cases to 224,231 cases, while the number of complaints about “cold” conditions increased by 65.2 percent, from 16,608 cases to 27,429 cases.
Seoul Metro stated that since the perceived temperature varies from person to person, there are cases where complaints about hot and cold conditions are filed simultaneously on the same train.
Seoul Metro added that Seoul subway trains maintain an indoor temperature standard of 24 to 26 degrees Celsius for summer and 18 to 20 degrees Celsius for winter.
Some passengers request that the temperature be changed using emergency call devices.
However, such behavior could significantly delay subway operations, as it requires staff to check the situation on-site.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
