Urban adventure on Seoul's metro

Seoul - In Seoul where gridlocked buses belch out fumes and cars crawl along until it feels like you're never going to get anywhere, the subway offers a thrilling escape. There's no quicker way to get around the South Korean capital than the subway. The city's metro system transports at least 7 million passengers a day, making it one of the busiest underground rail networks in the world. But it's also a place for people to shop, interact and be entertained. This is why a subway ride in Seoul can be an urban adventure if you are willing to spend the time to indulge in some social observation. A Seoul subway ride is a dynamic commuting experience. During rush-hour the trains are so full passengers may feel like sardines. However, in the afternoon subway trains can be cool and peaceful enough for one to sleep. Paper tickets are pretty much gone for most of the passengers on Seoul's subway. Young passengers get through the toll gates using their mobile phones while people aged over 65 have government-issued cards. Once you step onto the train, you will find three groups of passengers. The first group are people who remain in constant contact with the outside world, sending text messages or chatting online. The second group entertain themselves, playing games and watching movies and sports on their handsets. The third group sleep, read or do nothing. The Seoul subway is also a shopping and entertainment space with stations lined with fancy fashion and cosmetics stores. Street performers often use the subway space to attract an audience with their singing and dancing. You can sip coffee and grab a quick lunch along the way or drop by a traditional marketplace selling local farm specialities. Each subway station offers easy access to tourist attractions - places like the Insa-dong or Itaewon-dong or Namsan neighbourhoods are within ten minutes walking distance from subway stations. The metro is also a safe place. An expatriate in Seoul talked about a recent midnight metro experience where he found himself sitting next to a group of tough-looking young men and one drunken man. The drunk fainted and fell off his seat to the floor. The young men rose to their feet and approached him. 'I was thinking a midnight robbery might occur. Instead one man took the cell phone from the pocket of the drunken man and called his mom and asked where his house is. The other man lifted up the drunk and held him up until the subway station where his house was located,' the expat said. 'Seoul metro is cleaner than those in London or New York,' metro posters say. Every train is cleaned at least once a week. Launched in 1974, the metro is service oriented and employs some 10,175 people. Seoul is now exporting its expertise to other Asian countries, signing a contract to build a subway line in Hanoi and providing a consultancy service on rail technology to Malaysia.