Public Transit to Seoul, Cars to Incheon and Gyeonggi... Analyzing Citizens' Mobility Patterns

Seoul Conducts First In-Depth Analysis of Metropolitan Mobility Patterns
Transportation Preferences Differ by Travel Distance and Age Group
Policies to Reflect Living Area-Based Mobility Patterns

It has been found that residents of the Seoul metropolitan area tend to use public transportation when traveling to Seoul, while preferring to use cars when traveling to Gyeonggi Province or Incheon. This pattern reflects the structure of the public transportation system, and based on this data, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to reorganize the metropolitan transportation system.

On December 3, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, in collaboration with KT, released the "Metropolitan Area Mobility Data," which analyzes the entire Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon regions by dividing them into 41,023 square grid units. This data is up to 35 times more detailed than the existing administrative units (1,186 cities, counties, and districts or towns, townships, and neighborhoods). It is also the first integrated and systematic mobility analysis in Korea to aggregate movement volumes at 20-minute intervals.

The proportion of transportation modes between regions in the 'Metropolitan Area Mobility Data' jointly developed by Seoul Metropolitan Government and KT. Seoul Metropolitan Government

The analysis revealed that for short distances (1-4 km), buses are the most commonly used mode of transportation; for medium distances (5-19 km), subways are preferred; and for long distances (20-35 km), cars are used most frequently.

There were also clear differences in transportation preferences by age group, in addition to travel distance. Among young adults (ages 20-39), subway usage was the highest at 48 percent. This reflects lifestyle patterns centered around areas near subway stations and accessibility to workplaces and schools.

For middle-aged adults (ages 40-59), car usage accounted for the largest share at 45 percent. Factors such as securing a short commute, family-based travel, and residential distribution appear to have influenced this trend. For older adults (age 60 and above), subway usage rose again to 44 percent. Key reasons include walkable access, fare burden, and the use of subway stations within their living areas.

Interregional travel patterns within the metropolitan area showed even more pronounced differences. When traveling to Seoul, public transportation usage was the highest at 60 percent. This is attributed to the excellent accessibility of public transportation in central Seoul and the concentration of workplaces and schools near subway stations, which naturally leads to a subway-centered commuting and school attendance pattern.

In contrast, when traveling to destinations in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, the proportion of car usage was significantly higher, at 68 to 73 percent. This reflects the tendency for car-centric travel structures to become entrenched in the outer metropolitan areas, where the public transportation network is relatively less dense and the proximity between residences and workplaces is lower.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that the analysis confirmed that metropolitan transportation policies should be designed based on actual living areas rather than administrative boundaries. The city plans to use this data as a foundational resource for designing multi-layered transportation policies and living SOC (social overhead capital) supply policies based on living areas, including identifying optimal metropolitan bus routes, selecting locations for living SOC facilities, improving roads and pedestrian environments, and developing urban regeneration and areas near subway stations.

The dataset integrates seven types of trip purposes (commuting, school attendance, returning home, shopping, tourism, hospital visits, and others) and eight newly developed transportation mode classification algorithms this year (airplane, train, express bus, intercity bus, regular bus, subway, walking, and car). This enables a multi-dimensional analysis of which transportation modes citizens choose for different purposes.

Kang Okhyun, Director of the Digital City Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "By gaining a multi-dimensional understanding of the reasons and modes of transportation chosen by metropolitan area residents, we have established a foundation for designing precise transportation, housing, and urban planning policies. Going forward, Seoul will continue to discover and open up data that can substantially improve citizens' lives, leading urban innovation based on artificial intelligence and data."

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will fully open the data used for this analysis through two channels: the Seoul Open Data Plaza and the Seoul Big Data Campus. The release of the Metropolitan Area Mobility Data is unprecedented not only in Korea but also internationally.

Citizens are hurrying to work using buses and other public transportation along Sejong-daero in the Gwanghwamun area of Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

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