"Wearing a Padding Makes the Subway Too Hot" vs "Just Go to the Yaknanbang Car"

Controversy Over Subway Heating Despite Severe Cold
"Why bother with heating when wearing padding?... Sweating, Lower It"
"Heaters Should Obviously Be On in This Weather"
Seoul Metro Reports 58.7% of Complaints About Cooling and Heating

As the severe cold wave causes people to wear thicker outerwear, a debate over subway heating has begun. Especially during the rush hours when the largest crowds gather, opinions of "too hot" and "too cold" coexist, leading to complaints from each side.

Recently, many posts expressing discomfort with keywords such as "subway heating" and "subway heater" have been uploaded on the anonymous office worker community 'Blind' bulletin board.

Among netizens who saw this, opinions were divided between support and opposition. Those who say the temperature inside the subway is too high posted under the title "Can't you just stop the subway heating?" saying, "Everyone is wearing padded jackets, so is heating really necessary?" Another writer said, "I take the subway on my way to work, and it's hard because of the heater making it hot," adding, "I sweat a lot and it's even harder because of the mask."

However, those opposing the reduction of heating commented, "If you're hot, just take off your padded jacket," "Go to the mild heating and cooling car," and "If you don't heat in this weather, complaints will come in instead."

The crowded subway on the way home from work. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Seoul Metro, among the 761,791 complaints received at the customer center last year, complaints related to cooling and heating accounted for 446,839 cases (58.7%), the highest number.

In particular, it is known that there are hundreds of cases where complaints of "too hot" and "too cold" are received simultaneously on the same train. In fact, complaints such as "No subway heating on cold days" and "Why don't you turn on the seat warmers?" are posted on online communities.

Currently, Seoul subway maintains indoor temperatures according to the "Subway Indoor Temperature Standards," keeping 24?26°C in summer and 18?20°C in winter. However, since individual passengers perceive temperature differently, it is impossible to meet each person's demands one by one.

As the debate over subway heating continues, the company stated that since the temperature is relatively lower at both ends of the car, passengers who feel hot can move there. Also, when trains are crowded and the car temperature rises, passengers can use applications like 'Ttota Subway' or 'T map' to check congestion forecasts and use less crowded cars.

Complaints related to cooling and heating can be submitted by phone or text to the customer center, and also through the 'Ttota Subway' app. When complaints are received, the customer center forwards them to the train driver. Some passengers file cooling and heating complaints through the emergency communication device, but in this case, crew members must check the site, which may delay operation.

In response, a company official said, "The emergency communication device is used in emergencies such as when a patient occurs," and requested, "Please use the customer center or app for cooling and heating complaints."

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