Hinamnno Passed Sooner Than Expected... No 'Commute Chaos' in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

On the 6th, commuters are waiting for the bus at the bus stop in front of Sadang Station, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy reporters Jang Sehee, Gong Byungseon, Oh Gyumin] On the morning of the 6th, after Typhoon No. 11 'Hinnamnor' swept across the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, the feared 'commuting chaos' centered around Seoul and the metropolitan area did not occur. The typhoon passed faster than expected, and the rain eased during commuting hours. Additionally, companies adjusted working hours, leading to reports that the commute was actually more comfortable than usual.

Most citizens began preparing for work earlier than usual. Due to heavy rain overnight caused by Typhoon Hinnamnor, major roads in Seoul were closed, raising expectations of traffic congestion during the commute. Yoon (36), who commutes from Yongin, Gyeonggi to Seodaemun, Seoul, was among them. He said, "Because of the heavy rain nightmare last month, I left home about 20 minutes earlier than usual."

Yoon commuted by car that day. He said the roads were less crowded than usual. "My work start time is 8:30 a.m., but today I arrived before 8 a.m.," he said. "Even in habitual congestion areas, there were fewer vehicles, so I could get here quickly." The commute from the outskirts of Seoul was similar. Kim (29), who drove from Gangseo-gu, Seoul to Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi, said, "I used my car because there was no public transportation, but there was no significant traffic jam." He added, "The wind was not strong, and it didn't even rain."

Although some main roads in the city were closed due to heavy rain overnight, no accidents caused by the typhoon disrupted road use. A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official explained, "There were a few reports of traffic inconvenience due to the typhoon from the previous evening, but most were traffic signal malfunctions." He added, "All issues were resolved by commuting hours, and there were no particularly dangerous situations."

Most citizens using public transportation chose the subway over buses for their commute. Kim (29), who lives in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, said, "I usually take the bus to work, but today, since some bridges were closed and road conditions were expected to be congested, I judged that the subway would be more advantageous to keep my schedule."

The so-called 'hell train' phenomenon, where subway cars are packed due to overcrowding, did not occur. This was attributed to companies adjusting commuting hours and implementing remote work to prevent damage amid concerns about commuting chaos caused by the typhoon. Jeong Bora (35), who used Seoul Metro’s Line 2, said, "I boarded the subway at Ttukseom Station, and there were actually fewer people than usual." She added, "It seems that private companies adjusting commuting hours had an effect." Jo Ara (34), who used Seoul Subway Line 9 to commute to Yeouido, said, "Even near the usually crowded Express Bus Terminal Station, there were not many people." She added, "Line 9 is usually packed, but today it seemed less crowded than usual."

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