Gangnam Station recorded the highest transit card revenue among Seoul subway stations. Jamsil Station and Hongik University Station also took turns claiming the monthly top spot depending on seasons, events and tourism demand, clearly revealing the usage characteristics of major hub stations.
According to Seoul Metro's analysis of transit card revenue for the first half of this year (January to June), Gangnam Station ranked first in monthly revenue in January through March and June, Jamsil Station in April, and Hongik University Station in May. The three stations are also the top three by ridership, each exceeding 150,000 average daily boardings and alightings as of last year.
Gangnam Station took the overall top spot with monthly average transit card revenue of more than 2.8 billion won in the first half of this year. As a representative downtown area densely packed with office and commercial facilities, the result is interpreted as reflecting steady demand for commuting, shopping and leisure. Gangnam Station also ranked first annually last year, with monthly average revenue of about 2.7 billion won.
Jamsil Station recorded revenue of more than about 3 billion won in April, the highest monthly revenue this year. This is attributed to the influence of major events such as the Seokchon Lake cherry blossom festival, various pop-up stores and the opening of the professional baseball season. In fact, Jamsil Station also recorded high revenue last year in April, the cherry blossom season, and in December, the year-end event season, showing a close correlation with seasonal factors.
Hongik University Station took first place in revenue in May, driven by tourism and cultural demand. This reflects the increase in visitors to the Hongdae area as foreign tourists poured in during periods such as Japan's Golden Week and China's Labor Day holiday. Hongik University Station also recorded revenue of more than 2.6 billion won in May last year, showing the same trend.
This analysis shows that transit card revenue is an indicator that reflects not only ridership but also citizens' daily movement, as well as various urban flows including tourism, culture, sports and consumption activities. Differentiated usage patterns were also confirmed: Gangnam Station centered on business and commerce, Jamsil Station on major events, and Hongik University Station on tourism and culture.
"The changes in the top monthly transit card revenue stations are important data that show Seoul's diverse urban activities, including not only commuting but also tourism, culture and consumption activities," said Ma Hae-geun, head of the Business Division at Seoul Metro. "We will continue to use transit data to analyze citizens' movement patterns and provide more convenient services."
