Jamsil Station on Seoul’s Line 2 (Image courtesy of Seoul Metro)
SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — Jamsil Station on Seoul’s Line 2 emerged as the busiest subway station in the city last year, with an average of 156,177 passengers per day, according to 2024 transit data released by Seoul Metro on February 19.
The station’s high foot traffic was attributed to its role as a major transit hub and the extension of Line 8’s Byeollae Line, as well as increased attendance at professional baseball games. Jamsil was followed by Hongik University Station (150,369 passengers) and Gangnam Station (149,757 passengers). Gangnam, which held the top spot for 26 years until 2023, continued its decline, ranking third last year.
At the other end of the spectrum, Dorimcheon Station on the Line 2 branch recorded the lowest passenger count, with just 2,615 daily users.
Seongsu Station, located in a popular nightlife and dining district, saw a rapid increase in ridership, reaching 88,059 passengers per day and ranking 13th. This marked a significant rise from its 42nd position in 2018, progressing to 17th in 2022 and 15th in 2023.
Seoul’s subway system, spanning Lines 1 to 8, operated 1.6 million trips last year, covering a total distance of 42 million kilometers—equivalent to circling the Earth 1,049 times or making 52,551 round trips between Seoul and Busan.
Seoul’s subway system, spanning Lines 1 to 8, operated 1.6 million trips last year. (Image courtesy of Seoul Metro)
The total number of subway passengers grew by 2.5% compared to the previous year, reaching 2.42 billion, with an average of 6.61 million riders per day. May recorded the highest monthly ridership, with 211.6 million passengers, coinciding with increased outdoor activities.
Friday was the busiest day of the week, while Sunday saw the lowest ridership. The peak travel hour was between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. The single busiest day was March 28, when 8.46 million people used the subway, surpassing the daily average by 1.86 million.
The increase was attributed to large crowds attending cherry blossom festivals across the city. Conversely, Lunar New Year’s Day on February 10 saw the lowest ridership, with only 2.31 million passengers, about 35% of the daily average.
Among subway lines, Line 2 remained the busiest, transporting an average of 1.96 million passengers daily. It was followed by Line 5 (944,969 passengers), Line 7 (852,631 passengers), Line 3 (812,778 passengers), Line 4 (790,915 passengers), Line 6 (522,260 passengers), Line 1 (405,564 passengers), and Line 8 (312,005 passengers).
Notable ridership growth was observed at Nowon Station, where passenger numbers surged by 37% on Line 4 and 15% on Line 7. Seoul Metro attributed this to the completion of escalator replacements in August, improving accessibility and overall station conditions.
Baek Ho, CEO of Seoul Metro, emphasized ongoing efforts to modernize the subway system, including the introduction of a tagless fare system, flexible train scheduling, and the installation of multifunctional kiosks to enhance passenger convenience.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
