Seoul Line 4 Ssangmun and Mia Stations Reborn as Comfortable Stations Fully Equipped with Air Conditioning Facilities

'Old Station' Over 35 Years Since Opening... Facility Improvement Work Including Finishing Replacement and Air Conditioning Installation to Complete in March
Smart Station Managed with ICT Technology and Barrier-Free Environment Also Established

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul Metro Corporation announced on the 18th that it has completed environmental improvement works, including the installation of air conditioning facilities and replacement of finishing materials, combined with remodeling at Ssangmun Station and Mia Station on Seoul Subway Line 4. Following the completion of improvement works last year at three Line 1 stations (Dongdaemun, Sinseol-dong, Jongno 3-ga) and Jamsilsaenae Station on Line 2, the convenience for citizens is expected to be greatly enhanced.

Ssangmun Station and Mia Station opened on April 20, 1985, with the launch of Subway Line 4. These two stations have become major hubs where not only residents of nearby Ssangmun-dong and Mia-dong but also bus passengers from Dobong-gu, Gangbuk-gu, and northern Gyeonggi areas gather to transfer to the subway. As of 2019, Ssangmun Station was used by more than 60,000 people daily (62,213), and Mia Station by more than 30,000 people daily (33,371). In particular, Ssangmun Station is widely known as the “Dooly Theme Station,” where various photo zones, rest areas, and sculptures featuring the character Dooly from the comic “Baby Dinosaur Dooly”?which used nearby Ssangmun-dong as its setting?have been installed throughout the station.

However, both stations are over 40 years old, counting from their construction start date (1980), and were originally designed without air conditioning facilities, resulting in uncomfortable temperatures exceeding 30°C during summer months for passengers.

In response, the corporation, together with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, began environmental improvements at the two stations in August two years ago and completed all works on March 31. Barrier-Free (BF) designs were incorporated during construction to enable convenient use of the subway by mobility-impaired passengers, and Smart Station technology, which manages stations using Information and Communication Technology (ICT), was also introduced.

The corporation paid great attention to aesthetic elements such as basic design to create special spaces within the subway stations where citizens can experience culture and arts in their daily lives, resulting in the two stations being reborn as unique spaces.

Additionally, the corporation has signed agreements with the local district offices where subway stations are located to redecorate existing stations as “theme stations,” enhancing convenience and attracting the interest of passengers. Representative examples include Seongsu Station on Line 2 (Industrial Culture Complex Theme Space, Seongdong District Office) and Suraksan Station on Line 7 (Introduction to Suraksan Mountain, Nowon District Office).

Kim Seong-ryeol, Head of Technology at Seoul Metro Corporation, said, “After much consideration and review in design and construction, we hope citizens will make extensive use of the newly transformed two stations. We ask for continued support and interest from the government and citizens so that these old and worn subway stations can shed their outdated image and be reborn through future station environment improvement projects.”