SEOUL – After the train doors close to the noise and crowds outside, the silent battle for a seat begins. Standing passengers quietly scan those seated, searching for signs they may be about to leave. Are they pulling a backpack closer? Is anyone glancing up from their phone to check the digital display showing the next stop? Anyone who commutes by subway during rush hour has likely taken part in this silent ritual, dreaming of swapping seats with someone just before they exit the train.
That dream has recently become reality thanks to the new web-based application launched by an office worker in Seoul, South Korea: “Cheo Naeryeoyo”, which roughly translates to “this is my stop” or “I’m getting off here”. The app enables passengers preparing to leave the train to share details about their seats, including which subway line they are riding, their boarding station, the train’s direction, which car the seat is located in, and whether the train is a regular or express service, allowing other riders searching
for a seat to head there in advance. The goal is not to secure seats in advance, but rather to increase the likelihood of finding empty ones, according to the app’s developer Ms Moon So-jeong, who is in her 20s. “After spending more than an hour standing on crowded subway trains during my commute, I kept thinking how nice it would be if I could just know when the person in front of me would be leaving,” she said. “It is not just an app
for finding empty seats. I wanted to create a system where strangers help one another without even knowing each other.” The app currently covers 14 subway lines in the greater Seoul area, including Seoul Subway Lines 1 to 9; the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, Suin-Bundang Line and Shinbundang Line; and Incheon Lines 1 and 2. The service could be rolled out to areas outside the capital region as its user base grows, the developer added. Less than two weeks after its launch, the app had drawn nearly
37,000 users, with more than 7,000 updates on soon-to-be-vacant seats as at May 18. A mobile version is currently in development. “There were many times when I noticed someone waiting for my seat and wanted to tell them I would be leaving soon, so I like that this kind of communication can happen anonymously,” said 24-year-old Song Yu-jin, a university student in Seoul. The app especially strikes a chord with pregnant commuters, who often find it difficult to secure the pink priority seats designated for
pregnant women. “People often do not realise I am pregnant yet because I am not showing that much, so there are times when people sitting in the priority seats do not give them up. It feels nice to have a way for pregnant commuters to communicate and help each other out,” said Ms Bae Eun-hye, a 37-year-old office worker in Seocho-gu, Seoul, who is five months pregnant. Good intention, but effectiveness questioned Although the app has resonated with commuters weary of packed trains and lengthy
commutes, doubts persist over its long-term viability because the service relies heavily on users’ voluntary participation. “People are busy, so I do not think many will keep uploading information without a clear reason to do so. It might work better if users who share their seat information before exiting the train could receive some kind of benefit, like priority access to other seat updates,” one user wrote on Instagram. Others are sceptical about the accuracy of the shared seat information. “Many people do not even
know which train car they are in. A lot of passengers simply line up where there are fewer people or rush down the stairs and board whichever car stops in front of them when the train arrives. And what if some people intentionally upload false information?” another user commented. Addressing doubts about the app’s practicality, Ms Moon said she plans to introduce a benefit system for information sharing once a stable base of loyal users is established. “As the app is still in its early
stages, I am closely monitoring user trends. Once the user base becomes more established, I plan to begin introducing a rewards system, starting with users who share information about available seats in priority sections for pregnant women,” she said. As for concerns over false information, she said the app includes a user reporting system designed to minimise potential inconvenience. “If a particular post is reported as false more than three times, it is automatically hidden from the list, and users can also leave feedback on
whether the information was accurate or not,” she said. “It is difficult to completely eliminate false information, but because there is little to gain from posting fake reports, I believe there is relatively little incentive to misuse the app. Still, I will continue working on measures to address the issue.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Cheo Naeryeoyo, Seoul subway, real-time seat availability, priority seats for pregnant women, Seoul Subway Lines 1 to 9, Gyeongui-Jungang Line, Suin-Bundang Line, Shinbundang Line, Incheon Line 1, Incheon Line 2