The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is one of the most heavily used subway systems in the world, with well over 8 million trips daily on the system's nine lines (total figures for Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corporation, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation & Korean National Railroad commuter lines). The system serves Seoul and surrounding Gyeonggi province and Incheon city, with a connection to the Incheon subway system. It began to serve Cheonan, Chungnam province in 2005. Ticket prices start at 900 won for a trip up to 12 km, with 100 won added for each 6 km after that. Riders may also enter the system using a pre-paid debit card called T-Money for a discounted price.

Current total length of the subway system is about 287 km except KNR lines).

Operators

---

Subways are operated by three different organisations:

• Korean National Railroad (KNR) (Bundang Line, most of Line 1, and parts of Lines 3 and 4);
• Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corporation (SMSC) (Line 2, underground part of Line 1, and most of Lines 3 and 4). The corporation runs a total of 199 trains at 115 stations on lines 1-4. Generally, operation intervals are 2.5 -3 minutes during rush hours and 4-6 minutes during non-rush hours. An average of 3,879,000 passengers use subway lines 1-4 everyday. and
• Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation (SMRTC) (Lines 5, 6, 7, and 8).

History

---

The KNR, the forerunner of the SMSC, began operating Line 1 in 1974. Lines 2, 3, and 4 followed in the late 1970s and 1980s. The SMRTC was formed in 1994 to take over operation of lines 5 to 8.

Lines

---

The subway lines and their operators and colours are as follows:

• Line 1 (originally red, now dark blue- mostly KNR, except for Seoul Station-Cheongnyangni, a subway operated by the SMSC). KNR's Gyeongin Line intersects with the Incheon Subway at Bupyeong station.
• Line 2 (green- SMSC)
• Line 3 (orange- SMSC, except for Jichuk-Daehwa operated by KNR)
• Line 4 (light blue- SMSC, except for Seonbawi-Oido operated by KNR)
• Line 5 (purple- SMRTC)
• Line 6 (brown- SMRTC)
• Line 7 (olive- SMRTC)
• Line 8 (pink- SMRTC)
• Bundang Line (yellow- KNR commuter subway line)
• Jungang Line (aqua- KNR line which runs via the Gyeongwon Line)

New construction

---

Two new subway lines are currently under construction and have yet to open:

• Line 9 will run east from Gimpo Airport along the south bank of the Han River. Construction of the first phase began in April 2002 and is due for completion in 2008.
• New Bundang Line will be a new line from Gangnam in Seoul to Jeongja in Bundang, Seongnam. Construction is due to be completed in 2010.

Several existing lines are also currently undergoing extension:

• Line 3 will be extended south from Suseo to Garak Market and Ogeum, interchanging with lines 8 and 5 respectively, by 2009.
• By 2008, the Bundang line will be extended north from Seolleung to Wangsimni and south to Yongin and Suwon, with eventual plans for it to run all the way to Incheon, completing a southern outer semicircle.
• Line 7 will be extended west 9.8 km from Onsu to meet Incheon Subway line 1 at Bupyeong-gu Office. Nine new stations will be added by 2010.

There are several major works still in the planning stage:

• A 10 km extension to the New Bundang Line (see above) northward from Gangnam station to Yongsan is under consideration. If approved, the project is estimated to cost at least 400 billion won^*.
• By the end of 2011, Seoul City plans to build a 10.72 km 'light' subway line from Ui-dong to Sinseol-dong in northern Seoul^*. The line is expected to carry 110,000 passengers a day and will have 12 stations. It will connect to Line 4 at Sungshin Women's University Station, Line 6 at Bomun Station and Sinseol-dong Station (Line 1 & 2).
• EverLine Rapid Transit System will be a new line branching off the Bundang line extension and running east into Yongin and then to the theme park Everland.
• An extension of the Jungang Line from Deokso is also planned. This should eventually terminate in Wonju, Gangwon Province.

For more details on new projects, see ^* (in Korean)

See also

---

• Seoul Metropolitan Subway stations
• Incheon Subway
• List of Korea-related topics
• Transportation in South Korea

See also

---

• List of urban rail systems by length
• Top 10 metro systems in terms of annual passenger rides
• Top 10 metro systems in terms of number of stations

External links

---

• Korean National Railroad
• Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corporation
• Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation
• UrbanRail.net's Seoul Subway page
• English-language WMV video describing Seoul Subway history, current construction and future projects
• Complete list of stations at the Galbijim Wiki
• Seoul Metropolitan Government - Subway General Information
• Clickable map of subway stations (in Korean)
• Physical subway map
• Cyber Station
• Cyber Station (in Korean)
• FRDB (Future Rail Database, in Korean) - a website with extensive detail on new railway construction projects in Korea

Rapid transit in Asia | Seoul subway lines | Transportation in South Korea | Transport operators of South Korea

U-Bahn Seoul | Metro de Seúl | Métro de Séoul | 수도권 전철 | Metro seulskie | 首爾地鐵