"If You Are Not Pregnant, Please Give Up Your Seat"... Passengers React to This Announcement on the Subway

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] "Please give up your seat unless you are pregnant."

The message encouraging consideration for pregnant women, broadcasted on Gwangju Urban Railway vehicles, is becoming a hot topic.

According to Gwangju Urban Railway Corporation on the 10th, the corporation installed infrared sensors on four pregnant women priority seats?two seats each on two train cars?in September. The Gwangju subway consists of four cars with a total of eight pregnant women priority seats, and the sensors were attached experimentally to two of these seats.

When the sensor detects a passenger sitting, an announcement immediately plays, saying "Please give up your seat if you are not pregnant." Thanks to the sensors, there have been observations of passengers who are not pregnant or elderly standing up after hearing the announcement. The fact that sensors were installed has been shared on mom cafes and other communities, receiving positive responses.

Meanwhile, Busan Transportation Corporation operates a 'Pink Light' service for pregnant women. When a pregnant woman carrying a wireless transmitter shaped like a keychain boards a train, the pink light receiver detects the signal and notifies boarding with light and voice announcements. Seoul City also announced in July that it would introduce a similar system.