"Please Clean Up the Vomit"... Subway Vomit Complaints Increasing Every Year

An Average of 13 Cases per Day
Most Frequent on Fridays and After 9 PM

As daily life returns to normal and drinking gatherings increase, the number of intoxicated passengers in the Seoul subway is on the rise. Reports of vomit incidents also averaged 13 cases per day.

According to Seoul Metro on the 6th, a total of 13,928 complaints related to vomit were received over three years from 2020 to 2022. This amounts to about 13 cases per day on average. The numbers have been increasing annually, with 4,200 cases in 2020, 4,669 in 2021, and 5,059 in 2022.

Photo by Seoul Metro Corporation

By day of the week, Friday had the highest number of cases at 2,621, followed by Saturday with 2,259, and Thursday with 2,184. By time of day, reports surged at 9 PM and peaked at 10 PM. Cases reported after 9 PM accounted for nearly 70% of the total. The Metro estimates that most vomit-related complaints occur on the way home after company dinners or gatherings where drinking takes place.

Vomit causes unpleasant odors and damages the subway environment, posing a threat to passenger safety. Passengers using their phones while walking or running may not notice the vomit and slip, potentially leading to serious accidents.

In fact, in April 2019, a passenger who got off at Seoul Subway Line 7 slipped on vomit and injured their knee.

Generally, cleaning staff employed by the Metro wipe up vomit with tissue paper and finish cleaning with hand mops or large mops. Handling vomit personally is a tough task for the staff.

To respond promptly to vomit issues, the Metro has strengthened patrols. Additionally, to prevent slip accidents, they have piloted the use of screens that can cover vomit as a first measure.

Safety accidents related to drinking are also not uncommon. Among safety accidents that occurred last year, 26.1% (1,004 cases) were related to alcohol consumption.

The issue of 'intoxicated violence,' where drunk passengers verbally abuse or assault subway staff, is also serious. Of the 532 cases of verbal abuse or assault against staff over the past three years (2020?2022), 237 cases, or 44.5%, were committed by intoxicated individuals.