Recurring platform gap accidents on Seoul Subway Line Nos. 1 to 8 raise safety concerns

The injured leg of a woman in her 80s (right) who fell into the gap between the train and the platform at Gimpo International Airport Station on Seoul Subway Line No. 5. (Online communities)
The injured leg of a woman in her 80s (right) who fell into the gap between the train and the platform at Gimpo International Airport Station on Seoul Subway Line No. 5. (Online communities)

An 80-year-old woman sustained injuries after falling into the gap between a subway train and the platform, renewing concerns about safety hazards posed by wide platform gaps.

According to Seoul Metro, the accident occurred at 2:40 p.m. on March 9. The victim had been boarding a train at Gimpo International Airport Station on Subway Line No. 5 when she fell into the 15-centimeter gap between the train door and the platform. The woman was reportedly trapped from the waist down even moments before the train's departure.

After hearing her scream, bystanders pulled her from the gap and signaled the operator not to start the train, preventing what could have been a more serious accident.

The victim was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was diagnosed with severe bruising to her thighs and calves, requiring three weeks of medical treatment for recovery.

“The gap between the train and the platform was wide enough for an adult's foot to fall through. It looked several times wider than at other stations and appeared dangerous,” a man identifying himself as the woman’s son wrote on social media, sharing photos of her injured leg.

Similar accidents have occurred each year on Seoul Subway Line Nos. 1 to 8, with 80 cases recorded last year, 96 in 2024, 85 in 2023 and 83 in 2022, data showed.

Some stations, including Sungshin Women’s University, Dongdaemun History and Culture Park and Chungmuro, have gaps of up to nearly 20 centimeters between trains and platforms.

To prevent such accidents, Seoul Metro has been installing automatic safety plates since 2024. The devices remain folded while trains are in motion and automatically extend when trains stop, filling the gap between the train and the platform.

They have been set up at 275 platform locations so far, with about 260 more set to be added this year. For areas where installation is not structurally feasible, LED warning lights will likely be installed, officials said.


cjh@heraldcorp.com