Seoul subway heating and cooling complaints fall 22%, while disorder reports rise

Seoul subway passengers filed far fewer complaints about heating and cooling this year, but reports tied to passenger behavior moved in the opposite direction.

Seoul Metro said it received 628,130 complaints from January through July, a 17.3% decline from the 739,098 recorded during the same period last year. Complaints about uncomfortable temperatures in train cars, which make up a large share of all complaints, dropped 21.5%, from 507,509 to 398,503.

The temperature-setting standards inside the cars did not change. Seoul Metro attributed the decline to stronger explanations of its heating and cooling practices and the difference between official settings and passengers’ perceived temperatures, along with greater cooperation from passengers.

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Cooperation from citizens who understood and accommodated different perceptions of temperature was also a great help in reducing heating and cooling complaints during the record heat wave.

Complaints related to train etiquette and disruptions to order increased instead. Etiquette complaints rose by 2,797, or 35.7%, while reports involving disruptions to order increased by 271, or 6.5%. The operator said it would break down complaint types and causes in greater detail and expand guidance and campaigns that passengers can understand.

Ma Hae-geun, Seoul Metro’s executive director of operations, said cooperation from residents who understood and accommodated different perceptions of temperature helped reduce heating and cooling complaints during a record heat wave. He said the operator would continue monitoring passenger inconvenience and work to respond more quickly to urgent situations while maintaining a comfortable and safe subway environment.

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We will continue to carefully monitor passenger inconvenience and create a comfortable and safe subway environment so that we can respond more quickly to urgent situations.