As the summer heat intensifies in Seoul, the city’s subway operator, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation (commonly known as Seoul Metro), has launched a sweeping campaign to ensure the safety and well-being of millions of daily passengers. This initiative, which began in early August 2025, is a two-pronged effort: on one hand, it aims to rigorously inspect and upgrade elevator emergency call systems across the subway network, and on the other, it seeks to rally citizens around the cause of energy conservation during the peak electricity usage season.
On August 7, 2025, Seoul Metro announced the completion of a major legal and technical inspection of elevator emergency call devices in public facilities, according to Edaily. Since the start of this program, roughly 130 subway stations have undergone thorough checks, with 22 stations completing facility inspections and another 40 completing safety inspections. These aren’t just routine check-ups. The inspections are part of a larger, systematic approach to elevator safety, leveraging the latest in AI and smart monitoring technology to manage daily operations and identify risks before they become emergencies.
But the work is far from over. From August 11 to September 30, 2025, Seoul Metro, in cooperation with Korea Electric Power Corporation and the Korea Energy Agency, is conducting hands-on inspections and repairs of elevator emergency call systems at stations and related facilities. These real-world inspections go beyond paperwork, involving real-time monitoring, CCTV surveillance, and on-the-ground technician visits to ensure that every emergency call button is functional and accessible. The corporation emphasizes that these devices are not just a formality—they are a critical safety measure for passengers, especially those who may find themselves trapped or in distress due to elevator malfunctions.
Elevator safety has been a pressing issue for Seoul Metro for years. Since 2018, the corporation has imposed fines totaling approximately 19.75 million won for violations related to elevator safety, and additional penalties and fines—expected to reach 16.86 million won by the end of 2025—are being pursued for ongoing cases. The company’s internal system manages every aspect of elevator safety, from initial inspections to the collection of fines, ensuring that no detail slips through the cracks.
Kim Ki-byeong, the technical director at Seoul Metro, underscored the urgency of these efforts in light of recent power outages and blackouts. "After the recent blackout and power outage, more precise and urgent measures are necessary to address elevator issues," Kim stated, as reported by News Post. This sentiment is echoed throughout the organization, with officials stressing that the elevator emergency call systems are under strict inspection and repair to guarantee passenger safety.
On August 8, 2025, the campaign took a more public-facing turn at Gongdeok Station, one of the city’s major transit hubs. In partnership with the Korea Electric Power Corporation and the Korea Energy Agency, Seoul Metro hosted an energy-saving campaign targeting subway riders. The event was both practical and symbolic: 2,000 handheld fans were distributed to commuters, each emblazoned with the reminder, "Summer cooling at 26 degrees," encouraging citizens to set their air conditioners to a moderate temperature and conserve electricity. Information about the energy cashback system—an incentive for households to save on electricity bills—was also shared with the public.
But the campaign didn’t stop with fans. In a bid to reach as many people as possible, Seoul Metro produced a series of short educational videos under the slogan, "The essence of saving the Earth is your energy sense." These videos, offering practical tips for energy conservation in everyday life, are being broadcast on digital signboards throughout subway stations and inside train cars from August 11 to September 30, 2025. The hope is to inspire a cultural shift toward more responsible energy consumption, especially as climate change brings more frequent and severe heatwaves and heavy rains to the city.
The focus on energy conservation is not just about saving money—it’s also about ensuring the reliability of the subway system itself. During periods of extreme heat, electricity demand can spike dramatically, putting stress on the city’s power grid and increasing the risk of outages. For a system as reliant on electricity as Seoul’s subway, a power failure can have serious consequences, from stranded trains to malfunctioning elevators. That’s why, as NewsWhoPlus reports, Seoul Metro officials are urging the public to join in these conservation efforts, both to help stabilize the power supply and to adapt to the challenges posed by increasingly erratic weather patterns.
Seoul Metro’s approach to safety and energy management is both comprehensive and high-tech. The corporation has moved away from traditional, face-to-face inspections and now employs big data analytics and smart station monitoring systems, including advanced CCTV setups, to detect problems and enforce rules more efficiently. This scientific approach is complemented by targeted campaigns to prevent the misuse of climate companion cards—special transit passes designed to promote eco-friendly commuting. For example, at ten major stations on subway lines 1 through 8, the gates now light up purple and play an audio message saying "youth discount" whenever a youth card is used, helping to prevent fraudulent use. The plan is to expand these measures across the entire network in the coming months.
Seoul Metro is also considering additional steps to prevent the sharing of climate companion cards, such as triggering a beep if the same card is used at the same station in quick succession, strengthening CCTV monitoring, and displaying different colors at the gate based on the cardholder’s gender. These proposals have been submitted to city authorities for review, reflecting the company’s commitment to closing loopholes and ensuring fairness.
Despite these efforts, challenges remain. According to Seoul Metro, fare evasion and improper use of subway facilities continue to be persistent problems, with an average of 56,000 violations detected annually over the past three years. The corporation has collected around 2.6 billion won in penalties during this period and is determined to keep up the pressure through systematic enforcement and public education campaigns.
"Fare evasion is not just a crime—it’s an act of shifting one’s responsibility onto others," said Ma Hae-geun, head of Seoul Metro’s operations division, as quoted by Edaily. "We will hold violators legally accountable to the end, while doing our best to spread the awareness that such behavior is a clear criminal act."
As Seoul faces the twin challenges of climate change and urban growth, the city’s subway operator is setting a new standard for proactive safety management and public engagement. Through a mix of technology, education, and community outreach, Seoul Metro is not only keeping its passengers safe but also empowering them to play a part in building a more resilient, energy-conscious city.
