Express Bus Terminal, Gangnam stations lead subway crime statistics

Commuters get on and off a Seoul subway train on Sept. 10 (Yonhap)

Seoul’s subway system, which serves 7 million passengers daily, recorded a total of 3,516 crimes in 2023, a 4 percent rise from the previous year, police data revealed.

Misappropriation of lost property made up 42 percent of all crimes with 1,408 cases. Sexual assault accounted for 36 percent with 1,230 cases, and theft 25 percent with 855 cases, according to the data made public Sunday by Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the Democratic Party of Korea.

The released data did not include comparative figures for previous years by category of offense.

The data also offers a station-by-station breakdown of crimes that occurred from 2021 to July 2024. According to this data, Express Bus Terminal Station had the highest number of sexual assault incidents while Gangnam Station had the most reported cases of misappropriation of lost property and theft.

The Express Bus Terminal station, where lines 2 and 3 intersect, reported 141 sexual crimes, including groping and illicit filming, during the 3 1/2-year period.

Sadang Station, a busy transit hub serving lines 2 and 4, followed with 124 cases, while Hongik University Station on line 2 reported 118 cases. Focusing on more recent data from 2023 through July 2024, however, Hongik University station, known for its nightlife, topped the list.

In terms of theft, Gangnam Station on line 2 took the lead with a total of 119 cases during the same period. Jongno 3-ga Station, a centrally located station that connects lines 1, 3, and 5, followed with 87 cases, and Sadang station came in third with 84 cases.

For misappropriation of lost property, classified as a separate offense from theft under the South Korean penal code, Gangnam station had the most cases at 98, followed by Sadang with 96.

By Moon Ki-hoon(moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com)