Line 1 Jongno 5-ga Station, Dongdaemun Station, and Sinseol-dong Station Reborn as a 'Culture and Arts Railway'

Transforming Over 40-Year-Old Seoul Subway Smart Stations at 4 Locations
Cooling Facilities Installed at Jamsilsaenae Station to Enhance Citizen Convenience... Ssangmun and Mia Stations on Line 4 Also Scheduled for Improvement by Year-End

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul Metro Corporation will complete environmental improvement works by the end of April at four stations: Sinseoldong, Dongdaemun, and Jongno 5-ga stations on Line 1, and Jamsilsaenae station on Line 2.

The three Line 1 stations opened on August 15, 1974, and Jamsilsaenae station (formerly Sincheon) on Line 2 opened on October 31, 1980. Considering their construction dates, all these stations are over 40 years old. Due to the initial design lacking air conditioning facilities, passengers experienced inconvenience, and over time, unsightly structural elements of the station ceilings became exposed.

On the 25th, the corporation announced that it had completed the environmental improvement works at the four stations?Sinseoldong, Dongdaemun, Jongno 5-ga on Line 1, and Jamsilsaenae on Line 2?initiated in 2019 in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. A notable feature is the incorporation of a Smart Station structure that manages the stations using Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Jamsilsaenae station on Line 2 was built without air conditioning, causing significant inconvenience to passengers. The corporation invested 38.3 billion KRW (30% national funds, 70% city funds) to install air conditioning and simultaneously replaced finishing materials on the station’s exterior walls and ceilings, improving comfort and convenience for users.

The three Line 1 stations underwent environmental improvements as part of Seoul’s ‘Culture and Arts Railway’ project, which aims to create special spaces within subway stations so that citizens can experience culture and arts in their daily lives. A total of 29.6 billion KRW of city funds was invested. While the basic design was unified to create a sense of cohesion, distinctive spaces reflecting the characteristics of each station and its users were created based on detailed analyses.

Jongno 5-ga station features a resting area for subway passengers using exposed concrete and marble, partially revealing the station’s internal structure as it was at its opening in 1974, allowing passengers to feel the passage of historical time. Dongdaemun station includes a small station museum recreating its original appearance at opening, and nearby rest areas are equipped with mobile phone chargers to enhance passenger convenience. The 70-meter-long corridor was brightened and styled elegantly to eliminate any sense of confinement.

Sinseoldong station’s theme is ‘forest path,’ with passageways designed to give passengers a comfortable park-like forest atmosphere as they pass through. Currently, environmental improvements focusing on installing air conditioning are underway at Ssangmun and Mia stations on Line 4. The corporation plans to complete works at these two stations by the end of the year and present them to the public.

Shim Jae-chang, Head of Technology at Seoul Metro Corporation, said, “We have made great efforts to ensure safety and convenience while enabling artistic experiences. We ask for the government’s and citizens’ continued support and interest in the station environment improvement project so that these old and worn subway stations can shed their outdated image and be reborn anew.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.