hankyoreh

Commuters on the Seoul subway’s Line 1 at around 8:30 am on May 13. (Ock Kee-won)

When passengers not wearing masks showed up at subway stations around Seoul on Wednesday, station attendants were on hand to remind them about a new rule. Some were shown where they could buy a mask, while others pulled a mask out of their bag. May 13 was the first day that mask-wearing was mandatory on the Seoul Metropolitan Subway (Seoul Metro), and most passengers have already made it part of their routine.

During the morning rush hour, between 7 and 9 am, on Wednesday, transportation authorities reported that about 20 passengers had failed to wear a mask at Wangsimni Station, a major transfer point on the Seoul subway, connecting Line 2, Line 5, the Bundang Line, and the Gyeongui Line.

As of May 13, the city of Seoul will be blocking passengers who aren’t wearing a mask from boarding the subway when congestion is at or above 150%. That’s the point at which train cars are so crowded that it’s impossible to move around inside.

“When a man in his 50s came in without a mask, the attendants recommended that he put one on. The man said he’d forgotten to bring one and asked where he could get one, so we directed him to a mask vending machine in the area,” said an attendant with Seoul Metro who was checking for mask usage at Wangsimni Station.

“A woman in her 20s was about to board the train without a mask on. When we told her about the rules, she immediately took a mask out of her bag and put it on,” the employee said.

Several people who weren’t wearing masks could be seen among the packed commuters boarding the train at Sungshin Women’s University, on Line 4 and the Uisinseol Line. Because the congestion level at the station on Wednesday was only around 130%, mask-wearing wasn’t required.

One 29-year-old office worker who was about to board suddenly turned around and bought a disposable mask. “It’s not just because of the boarding rules, but also because I need a mask for my job. I had to buy one because I left my mask at home,” the office worker said.

While a few people who weren’t wearing masks were also spotted at Seoul Station and City Hall Station, no6 could be seen checking for masks at the gates. The issue was being addressed by messages broadcast at intervals over the PA system, however: “Everyone is required to wear a mask on the subway, and those who fail to do so may not be allowed to board. When there are many people on the train, please wait for the next one.”

Most subway riders seem to have integrated masks into their daily routine, regardless of the new rules. “We’ve had nine staffers ensuring that passengers stay spread out on the train after 6 am, and they haven’t seen anyone not wearing a mask,” said Kim Jae-hyeok, the manager in charge of Euljiro 1-ga Station, on Line 2.

“I didn’t even know it was a requirement. Nowadays, I always bring a mask with me when I go to work,” said a 26-year-old surnamed Kim who spoke with the Hankyoreh at Euljiro 3-ga Station.

Seoul Metro rolled out a congestion warning system on Wednesday that will provide passengers with daily information about whether the subway is “uncongested,” “normal,” or “congested.” The information will be available from 6 am on its website and mobile app, with the goal of empowering citizens to reduce congestion.

But a considerable number of passengers hadn’t heard of the congestion warning system. “I wasn’t aware of the warning system, but even if I was, I’m not going to wait around or go back home just because the train is crowded when I’m in a hurry to get to work,” said a commuter surnamed Park at Jongno 3-ga Station.

By Suh Hye-mi and Ock Kee-won, staff reporters

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