Returned 35 Million Won in Cash Left on Seoul Subway to Its Owner

Seoul Metro-KORAIL Staff Cooperation: On the 28th, a man in his 30s reported losing a bag containing 35 million won in cash on Line 4 train early morning... Despite difficulty identifying the specific train, thorough search and cooperation among staff led to recovery of lost item

Kim Sang-beom, President of Seoul Metro (right), is visiting Gunja Vehicle Depot and having a conversation with officials.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Employees of Seoul Metro and Korail (Korea Railroad Corporation) cooperated to successfully find and return a passenger's bag containing 35 million won in cash on the subway.

According to Seoul Metro (President Kim Sang-beom) on the 29th, around 9 a.m. on the 28th, a man in his 30s came to Sadang Station on Line 4 and reported that he had lost his blue bag on the Line 4 train. The bag contained a large sum of cash totaling 35 million won in 50,000 won bills.

The man told the station staff, "I got off the train at Sadang Station, which is the terminal station, transferred to Line 2 to go to my destination, and then realized the bag was missing. I think I left it on the train rack, but I am not sure which train it was," explaining the situation at the time.

Since some time had passed after the train arrived at Sadang Station, it was difficult to identify the exact train as the man said, making the search challenging. However, the station staff informed the Integrated Control Center, which oversees subway operations, and requested assistance.

The Integrated Control Center staff asked the train crew working on Line 4 to search inside the trains and to immediately report if they found the bag, based on the information received from the station staff.

At around 9:30 a.m., a Korail crew member arriving at Danggogae Station reported to the Integrated Control Center that they had found the bag on the train they were working on. The staff at Danggogae Station received the bag and notified the police and the passenger.

At around 10:05 a.m., a police officer from the nearby Bulam Police Substation arrived to check that the bag and the cash inside were safe. Finally, the man who lost the bag came to Danggogae Station around 10:45 a.m. and successfully retrieved his belongings. The passenger expressed gratitude to the staff who diligently and carefully searched for his items.

Shin Hyun-du, Head of the 1st Control Center at Seoul Metro, said, "It was initially difficult to know which train the bag was left on, but thanks to cooperation among employees and prompt handling, we were able to help recover the customer's valuable cash. We ask passengers to please double-check their belongings when getting off the train."