[One Day Ten Thousand Steps] Walking Around Line 2... Amazing Step Count

Seoul Subway Line 2 is a circular line with a total length of over 60 km. Of this, the main line we know is nearly 50 km long, with a total of 43 stations. Recently, an experience of "completing the Line 2 challenge" has become a hot topic on internet communities.

On October 6, a netizen posted their experience on FM Korea, saying, "I saw posts about walking around Subway Line 2 and thought I should try it someday, and during this Chuseok holiday, I finally took action." He added, "I usually don’t do much other exercise, but I take pride in walking a lot, so I started with a light body and mind."

Sindorim Station, where the national railway and Subway Line 2 converge, is a representative subway station with a large floating population.
[Photo by Asia Economy]

This netizen started at Gangnam Station at 10:50 PM. After considering the Jamsil and Sindorim directions, he chose the Sindorim direction, thinking that to see the sunrise in the east in the morning, he should head west. For those who have walked Line 2, the section from Seocho to Bangbae to Sadang is known as a difficult segment. This netizen said it took about an hour just to walk four stations from Gyodae Station to Sadang Station. The first challenge came at Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station, which crosses the Han River, and while walking across Yanghwa Bridge, he thought, "It would be a waste to turn back," so he kept walking. When passing Hapjeong, Hongdae Entrance, and Sinchon after starting at 11 PM, it was past 4 AM, and the sun rose while passing Euljiro and Dongdaemun. The second challenge was when walking the above-ground section of Line 2, including Hanyang University, Ttukseom, Seongsu, Konkuk University Entrance, Guui, and Gangbyeon. Ultimately, starting at Gangnam Station at 10:50 PM and completing one full circle on foot took until 11:14 AM the next day?just over 12 hours. The total number of steps was an astonishing 74,983.

Various transfer stations make Wangsimni Station a busy hub with many users. [Photo by Asia Economy]

The netizen said, "I just vaguely saw others’ posts and lightly challenged myself, but it was not as easy as I thought. Still, I felt a bit proud to have accomplished something during the long holiday. I recommend anyone who wants to try it to give it a shot. It’s quite fun to see places you normally wouldn’t know."

Subway Line 2 Route Map

Earlier, in March, another netizen posted on the same community that they started their challenge at 8 PM from Sillim Station near their home, chose the Sindorim direction, and returned to Sillim Station at 8:48 PM. It took 12 hours and 46 minutes, with just under 80,000 steps. In August last year, a netizen who started at Gangnam Station and walked one full circle toward Jamsil took a total of 14 hours and 30 minutes (10 hours walking) and walked 79,000 steps.