Wallets were the most commonly reported lost items on the Seoul subway from 2021 through September 2026, accounting for 191,223 of 820,106 cases, according to Seoul Metro data.

The number of lost-item reports rose from 101,618 in 2021 to 167,738 in 2025, before reaching 123,879 in the first nine months of this year.

Cash was reported lost in 52,859 cases, totaling approximately $2.26 million, of which 74.4 percent was returned to its owners.

The direct return rate for all lost items fell from 65.6 percent in 2021 to 49.1 percent in the first nine months of this year.

Banghwa Station on Subway Line No. 5 recorded the highest number of lost-item reports last year, with 8,943 cases.


don@heraldcorp.com