» Bangbae Station on subway no. 2

Asbestos has been found in the roofing and wall materials on subway platforms of Seoul Metro Line 2. Asbestos was discovered in the Seoul subway system on a few prior occasions, but only in insulation materals and the walls of the subway staff offices, among other places. This latest find means passengers are directly at risk to exposure to the carcinogenic fibrous mineral.

ETS Consulting, an asbestos analysis agency, investigated 17 out of the 50 stations on line no. 2. Asbestos was found in the finishing materials of the roofs and walls of platforms in 14 of the 17 stations, such as City Hall, Euljiro 1-ga, Sangwangsimni, Hanyang University, Samseong, Seolleung, Seocho, Bangbae, Seoul National University of Education, and Mullae. The study was commissioned by the management and the union of the city-run subway operating company.

In particular, the roof and wall finishing materials of the platforms at Bangbae station were comprised of 15-20 percent asbestos. In the case of ceilings in six stations, including Shindorim and Yeongdeungpo-gu Office, brown or blue asbestos has been detected, versions that have a risk of causing cancer at least ten times greater than that of ordinary, or white, asbestos.

During the same investigation, asbestos was found in three out of eight stations surveyed on subway line nos. 1, 3, and 4.

Since the Seoul subway’s first operation in 1974, the roofs of platforms have been frequently fixed without considering the risk of workers’ exposure to asbestos. Passengers may also have been exposed to asbestos, which is linked to lung and other cancers. Experts said that the release of asbestos dust into the air at those stations is inevitable due to the vibration and wind caused by the trains.

In 2001, the Seoul Metro wrote a report about the risk of asbestos used at platforms. However, the public subway operator has been accused of neglecting its responsibility by not taking any measures to remove the material. The subway company’s union and environmental civic groups are considering filing a class-action lawsuit against the public company.

Park Dong-pil, an official at the Seoul Metro, said the company will build an asbestos map to warn workers regarding potential exposure to the hazardous material. However, this measure was already suggested in the 2001 report.

"Asbestos dust can cause lethal diseases if inhaled in even very tiny amounts," said Lim Sang-hyeok, a researcher at the Wonjin Foundation, a nonprofit organization aimed at preventing industrial ailments. "The company should account for current and former workers at those platforms who performed work without protective devices and check on their health periodically."

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