[Interview] Baekho, President of Seoul Metro, "Opening an Era of Gate-Free Subways"

Conflicts over convenience for users passing through subway gates during rush hour and the distribution of transportation fares resolved, greatly benefiting both citizens and the corporation... Also expected to contribute to improving corporate profits through overseas market expansion and attracting foreign tourists to Korea

Baekho, President of Seoul Metro Corporation

"To enhance the convenience of citizens crowding into the subway during rush hour, we will establish a tagless system and ultimately open an era of gate-free subways."

Baekho, President of Seoul Metro Corporation, expressed his enthusiasm to create an era where citizens carrying smartphones with the 'Tagless App' installed can pass through turnstiles immediately, moving beyond the era of tagging transportation cards at gates.

The subway fare payment method is expected to make new history in the corporation's technological innovation, as it approaches the arrival of the 3rd generation 'Tagless Era,' beyond the 1st generation paper tickets and magnetic tickets and the 2nd generation card methods.

The corporation is preparing for change with a tagless payment system based on Near Field Communication technology (Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 or higher).

The tagless system is a new payment system that allows convenient boarding and alighting without tagging a transportation card at the turnstile, using mobile devices.

The RF (Radio Frequency) transportation card system, introduced in 1997 and still in use, requires passengers to directly touch their card or mobile device to the terminal to pay fares, which causes long queues at turnstiles during peak hours.

The corporation, which has been steadily preparing for a tagless-based system, plans to first verify it with employees through a pilot installation utilizing location information technology that accurately recognizes positions.

The corporation will pilot the tagless system at 10 turnstiles across four stations: Yongdap Station on Line 2, Oksu Station on Line 3, and Dongjak and Sadang Stations on Line 4. Within this year, they aim to verify the system with a core technology location recognition accuracy rate of over 95%.

President Baekho emphasized, "Once the tagless system is established, it will greatly benefit citizens using the subway in terms of convenience, as well as the corporation. However, for this system to settle, it requires highly advanced technology with zero margin for error."

Citizens will no longer need to take cards out of their wallets to tag. Additionally, the corporation will no longer need to have conflicts with transportation operators and card companies over subway fare settlements. When citizens pass through the turnstile with tagless technology, fares are calculated immediately, enabling transparent fare management.

In particular, once tagless technology stabilizes, it is predicted that fare settlements among transportation modes such as subway, KTX, GTX, Shinbundang Line, light rail, and buses will become easier.

President Baekho also foresaw that once this system is established, foreign tourists visiting Korea will be able to use transportation facilities such as subways very conveniently.

Moreover, exporting our tagless technology to the global market will bring significant benefits to the corporation's management. A senior official from the corporation's Technology Headquarters explained, "Once tagless technology stabilizes, it will be exportable to the global market, greatly aiding the corporation's profits," adding, "It will be the 'first innovation technology' since President Baekho took office."

President Baekho is a transportation expert who previously served as Seoul City's Transportation Planning Officer and Director of Seoul Urban Transportation. Based on this experience, since his appointment as president, he has been visiting sites to improve management and prepare future growth engines, earning high praise from employees. Another corporation official said, "Among past presidents, he is highly regarded not only for his work ability but also for his quick decision-making, raising great expectations among employees for the corporation's development."

Attention is focused on whether the corporation, which faces difficult conditions including debts exceeding 1 trillion won, can create a sustainable management foundation through new technological innovation.

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