6 Reasons Korean Subway Trains Are Going Viral Among Locals For Being Top Tier

The US could never deliver these features.
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Amy McDonald
Amy McDonald

After discovering soju and making it go viral on TikTok with the funniest reactions, locals have now made yet another part of Korea go viral. Quickly gaining over three million views, a couple called J&K Lovett compared Korea’s subway to New York City’s subway in a clip that caused locals to wish the US would take notes. Here are six high-quality features of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway that have locals feeling jealous.

Inside one of Korea’s subway trains. | ST_Travel/Shutterstock

1. Ride prices are $1 or less.

While transportation fees in the US nearly reach $3 USD for a single ride, the price in Korea is much lower. It only costs $1.02 USD for an adult without a transportation card, $0.34 USD for a child, and free for those over sixty-five years old.

2. Trains are on time 99% of the time.

Though it’s common for subway trains in the US to run into delays, that’s not the case in Korea. Their train schedule is so reliable that it’s said that “punctuality is 99.9%.” There’s no confusion about whether or not a Korean train will arrive on time because it always does.

3. No risk of falling into the tracks.

Unfortunately, it’s not unheard of for people in the US to accidentally or purposely fall into the train tracks or be pushed to their death. Korea prevents that possibility by having platform screen doors open directly onto the train.

4. Heated seats for the cold winters.

In the winter, Koreans don’t have to dread their commute on the subway for fear that it’ll be freezing. Every seat has a built-in heater that keeps passengers warm.

5. A restroom at every single subway station.

Rather than rushing to find a free restroom or purchase something for access, that’s not a problem in Korea. Every station has a restroom available.

6. Designated seats for the disabled, pregnant, and more.

To cover all the bases, Korea has reserved seating for a variety of people who need a bit of extra care. They have designated areas for the elderly, disabled, pregnant individuals, wheelchair users, parents with strollers, and people with huge luggage.

The shocking part is that Korea has a yearly budget of $1.68 billion USD for the high-quality experience their trains deliver compared to NYC, which is lower quality for a cost of $17 billion USD yearly.

Bonus: Grabbing a book to pass the time.

Whenever Koreans are bored on their subway commute, they can find a specific car to grab a book and disappear into a fantasy world for a brief time.

Watch all the features that left locals amazed here.

 

Source: Instagram
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