How Are the Subways Kept Safe?
Safety Management of Subway Cars and Facilities
- Subway operator and subway facility manager ("Subway Operator, etc.,” and does not include exclusive railroad manager) shall, when operating the subway or managing subway facility, setup organic system related to the safety management of the subway and subway facility including personnel, facility, vehicles,equipment, operating procedure, education and training,and emergency response plan ("Safety Management System") and obtain the approval of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Article 7(1) and (3) of the Railroad Safety Act).
· Anyone who operates the subway or manages the subway facility without the approval of the Safety Management System shall be subject to imprisonment for up to years or fine of up to 30 million Korean won (Article 78(2)(1), Railroad Safety Act).Anyone who obtains the approval of Safety Management System using deceit or other illegitimate means shall be subject to imprisonment for up to 2 years or fine of up to 20 million Korean won (Article 78(3)(1) of the Railroad Safety Act).
- The Subway Operator, etc. shall continuously maintain the Management System which was approved in accordance with the foregoing rules in operating the subway or managing the subway facility (Article 8(1) of the Railroad Safety Act).
· Anyone who causes serious and clear problems in subway operation or subway facility management shall be subject to imprisonment for up to 2 years or fine of up to 20 million won.(Article 78(3)(2) of the Railroad Safety Act.
<What to Do in an Emergency, Such as a Fire?>
· If you see smoke in a subway station or if a fire has started, inform the staff immediately with an emergency interphone on the platforms.
· Calmly evacuate in accordance with directions from the station employees.
√ Aboveground evacuation: follow the light lines to evacuate in a row via the stairs. Keep a wet handkerchief or sleeve over your mouth and stay low as you move.
√ Tunnel evacuation: open the track entrance at the end of the platform and evacuate via the tracks. Keep a wet handkerchief or sleeve over your mouth and stay low as you move.
· For details on emergency interphones, emergency lights, gas masks, and instructions on using the fire extinguishers in the stations, see <Seoul Metro Blog>.
<Seoul Metro Blog>
How is Safe Subway Operation Maintained?
Suspension of Subway Operation
- Subway operation may be temporarily suspended if one of the following occurs and is deemed to hinder the safe operation of the train (Article 40 (1) of the Railroad Safety Act).
· A disaster has occurred because of an earthquake, hurricane, torrential rains, heavy snow, natural disaster, or weather occurrence, or if such a disaster is expected.
· Other major hindrance to train operation has occurred or is expected to occur.
Prohibition of Dangerous Items
- No person may carry the following items or materials that have caused or may cause harm to passengers, such as weapons, explosives, harmful chemicals, or flammable materials (hereinafter referred to as “dangerous items”) on any subway (Article 42 of the Railroad Safety Act, Article 78 (1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Railroad Safety Act).
1. Explosive
2. Pressurized gas
3. Flammable liquid
4. Flammable material
5. Oxidizing material
6. Poisonous materials, such as poison, or material that may transmit disease
7. Radioactive material
8. Corrosive material that poses a serious danger to living tissue or may physically damage the train
9. Anesthetic material that causes extreme pain or discomfort to the extent that cabin attendants cannot perform their duties normally
10. Firearms, bladed weapons, and other weapons that amount to the foregoing
11. Items not covered by numbers 1–10 above that may cause danger to humans by chemical changes or physically damage items in the train
- A railroad worker may expel or remove from the train any person who is carrying a dangerous item on a train (Article 50 (1) of the Railroad Safety Act).
- Any person who carries or loads a dangerous item on a car without justifiable cause may be sentenced to imprisonment of not longer than two years or a fine of not more than KRW 2 million (Article 78 (3) 8 of the Railroad Safety Act).
Security Searches for Passenger Safety
- The Railroad Special Judicial Police may, if necessary for the safe operation of the subway or the protection of subway facilities, perform a security search of the persons and possessions of passengers and any baggage (Article 48-2 (1) of the Railroad Safety Act).
· A Railroad Special Judicial Police officer may, if there are reasonable grounds to deem them necessary for the aforementioned reason, use equipment, such as handcuffs, ropes, gas sprays, Tasers, or batons (Article 48-3 (1) and (2) of the Railroad Safety Act).
· A railroad worker may expel any person who refuses to comply with the above security search from the train or subway station (Article 50, Subparagraph 6 of the Railroad Safety Act).
Official Directions from the Railroad Workers
- When using the train or subway facilities, passengers must obey official directions given by railroad workers for their safety, protection, and order on the railroad (Article 49 (1) of the Railroad Safety Act).
· A railroad worker may expel from the train or subway station any person who refuses to comply with official directions from a railroad worker (Article 50, Subparagraph 7 of the Railroad Safety Act).
· Any person who refuses to comply with a railroad worker’s official direction may be sentenced to a minor fine of not more than KRW 10 million (Article 81 (1) 14 of the Railroad Safety Act).
- No one may hinder a railroad worker in the performance of his or her duty by force or threat (Article 49 (2) of the Railroad Safety Act).
· A railroad worker may expel from the train or subway station any person who hinders the performance of his or her duties (Article 50, Subparagraph 7 of the Railroad Safety Act).
· Any person who hinders any railroad worker in the performance of his or her duty through force or threat may be sentenced to imprisonment of not longer than five years or a fine of not more than KRW 50 million (Article 78 (1) of the Railroad Safety Act).
You Cannot Do That on the Subway!
No person may engage in the following acts on a subway (Article 47 (1) of the Railroad Safety Act, Articles 79 and 80 of the Enforcement Rules of the Railroad Safety Act).
1. Entering, without justifiable cause, places barred to passengers, such as control rooms, engine rooms, generator rooms, or public address rooms
2. Operating a train car’s equipment or tool without justifiable cause, such as pressing the emergency stop button during operations or opening a door of the car
3. Tossing from the train car any item that may be a source of danger for any person outside the car
4. Smoking
5. Any act that causes sexual humiliation in the railway workers or passengers
6. Any act that harms other people after drinking or taking drugs
7. Bringing along or carrying, without safety precautions, any animal or plant that may harm any passenger
8. Any person with a legally designated communicable disease boarding a train without the permission of a railway worker
9. Any act that inconveniences passengers without the permission of a railway worker, such as soliciting donations, selling or distributing items, or making speeches or recommendations
- A driver, train crew, or station crew may deter a person who committed a prohibited act from committing the act or record the audio or video of the prohibited act (Article 47 (2) of the Railroad Safety Act).
Possible Penalties
- A railroad worker may expel or remove any person who committed any of the prohibited acts listed above and their possessions from the train car (Article 50, Subparagraph 4 of the Railroad Safety Act).
- A penalty of 5 million won or less is imposed on persons who enter a prohibited place or throw an object out of a passenger train in violation of 1. and 3. above (Article 82 (2), item 8 of the Railway Safety Act).
- A person who presses the emergency stop button or opens the elevator door while driving in violation of the above 2. shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than two years or a fine of not more than 20 million won (Article 79 (3), item 18 of the Railway Safety Act).
- A person who smokes on a passenger train in violation of 4 above is subject to a fine of not more than 1 million won (Article 82 (4), item 2 of the Railway Safety Act).
- Anyone who violates the above 5 and commits an act that causes sexual shame is subject to a fine of 5 million won or less (Article 79 (5) of the Railway Safety Act).
- A person who drinks alcohol or takes drugs and commits harm to others in violation of 6. above will be punished by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won (Article 79 (4), item 12 of the Railway Safety Act).
- A penalty of not more than 500,000 won is imposed on persons who commit acts that cause harm to the public or passengers in violation of 7 above (Article 82 (5), item 2 of the Railway Safety Act).