[Exclusive] Gimpo Gold Line Suffocation Risk 'Still Present'... No Improvement Even After Itaewon Disaster

This Year's Morning Commute Congestion Peaks at 208%
One Patient Occurs Daily
Urgent Need for Practical Measures and Proactive Budgeting

Concerns about overcrowding in multi-use facilities have increased since the Itaewon disaster, but it has been confirmed that subway congestion during commuting hours has not improved. In particular, the congestion levels of the Gimpo Gold Line and Seoul Line 9, notorious as "hell trains," are analyzed to be around 200%, posing a very high risk of safety accidents. Ultimately, there are calls for practical measures to prevent crowd crush accidents and proactive budget investment.

According to data submitted on the 16th by the office of Jeong Jeom-sik, a member of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the People Power Party, to Seoul City, Gimpo City, and Seoul Metro, the maximum congestion rate of the Gimpo Gold Line (Gochon → Gimpo Airport) between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. this year was 208%. The congestion rates by year were 225% in 2020, 203% in 2021, 223% in 2022, and 207% in 2023, showing little difference. This means that on average, more than twice the capacity of passengers are riding the two-car Gimpo Gold Line trains, which have a capacity of 116 people.

In particular, one patient occurs daily on the Gimpo Gold Line. From June last year to September this year, there were 510 patients. By gender, 100 were male and 410 were female. There were 200 cases of respiratory distress, and 9 cases required hospital transfer. On August 20th at around 7:58 a.m., a woman in her 30s at Gimpo Airport Station showed symptoms of dizziness and vomiting, and at 8:05 a.m., a man in his 20s received emergency treatment for vomiting. On June 17th at 7:48 a.m., a woman in her 20s collapsed at Gimpo Airport Station.

Citizens are trembling with anxiety over the risk of crowd crush accidents. Office worker Lee said, “It seems nothing has changed on the Gimpo Gold Line even after the Itaewon disaster,” and appealed, “The problem is serious during peak hours when too many people gather.” Park also lamented, “The daily commute is hell. There are many times when it feels like people could really be crushed. I have even seen 119 emergency medical teams dispatched.”

Although Seoul City, Gyeonggi Province, and Gimpo City have continuously introduced measures such as opening bus-only lanes and deploying shuttle buses, they have failed to reduce congestion on the Gimpo Gold Line. A Gimpo City official explained, “The project cost for adding more trains requires a large budget,” and added, “To smoothly proceed with the project, it is necessary to promote it through a combination of national and local government funding.”

The commuting situation on Seoul Line 9 is not much different. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recommends a maximum congestion rate of 150% when calculating transport capacity, but 10 stations exceeded this standard. Generally, a congestion rate of 150% means passengers standing in the train will bump shoulders, and when it exceeds 170%, movement inside the train becomes difficult, with bodies and faces pressed together to the point of suffocation.

As of last month, the congestion rates on Line 9 were as follows: Gukhoeuisadang Station (regular) 184% from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Noryangjin Station (express) 182% from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., Dongjak Station (express) 179% from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., Express Bus Terminal Station (express) 179% from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sinnonhyeon Station (express) 174% from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Yeouido Station (express) 171% from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., Dangsan Station (express) 160% from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., Yeomchang Station (express) 159% from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., Seonyudo Station (regular) 158% from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Sinmokdong Station (regular) 150% from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Lines 1 to 8 had no sections exceeding 150% congestion. However, Line 2 (Sadang → Bangbae) was close at 148.3% from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., Line 7 (Junggok → Gunja) at 147% from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., and Line 7 (Gunja → Children’s Grand Park) at 145.1% from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Professor Gong Ha-seong of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Woosuk University said, “The second anniversary of the Itaewon disaster is approaching, but our society is only paying lip service to safety first,” and emphasized, “Prevention costs much less than accident response and recovery. If congestion does not decrease with current measures, other methods must be considered.”