Could 6, 2025
SEOUL – Beneath Specific Bus Terminal Station, a significant switch hub for Seoul Subway Strains 3, 7 and 9, an enormous labyrinth of underground outlets unfolds, rivaling the size of a division retailer.
Often known as GOTO Mall, this 880-meter-long underground procuring middle, which begins at Exit 8-1, homes round 630 shops and is acknowledged as one among Seoul’s three largest underground malls, alongside these at Gangnam and Jamsil Stations.
The underground mall presents a big selection of products, from clothes and footwear to residence decor objects and flowers, making it a go-to vacation spot for consumers. Its huge choice and inexpensive costs have turned it into a well-liked hotspot for international vacationers as effectively.
Rachel Chua, 27, a vacationer from Malaysia who all the time outlets for cosmetics and equipment when visiting Korea, stated, “I like how simple it’s to maneuver from one shopping center to a different simply by taking the subway.”
“Malaysia has underground areas hooked up to malls or supermarkets, however not full-scale procuring cities beneath subway stations like in Seoul,” she stated.
A house decor vendor inside GOTO Mall. PHOTO: NAVER BLOG/THE KOREA HERALD
Metropolis underneath the town
Past procuring, Seoul’s huge underground community has advanced into a significant a part of each day life for metropolis dwellers.
At many main subway stations throughout the capital, commuters can seize a meal, store for groceries and even go to a clinic — with out ever stepping above floor. Franchise eating places and cafes are a standard sight, usually geared up with standing tables to accommodate the fast-paced way of life of Seoulites in transit.
Eight stations, together with Jongno 3-ga, Yeoksam and Hapjeong, host medical clinics providing providers from inner medication to dermatology, alongside pharmacies.
Fruit distributors additionally populate key places close to ticket gates and switch stairways at stations like Hapjeong, Seongsu, Sadang and Bangbae, serving workplace staff and different people on the transfer.
An orthopedic clinic situated inside Yeoksam Station in Seoul. PHOTO: SEOUL METRO/THE KOREA HERALD
A pharmacy situated inside Sindorim Station in Seoul. PHOTO: SEOUL METRO/THE KOREA HERALD
A staffless fruit retailer situated inside Gongdeok Station in Seoul. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
The rise of uncrewed retail can also be witnessed underground, as a rising variety of such shops have been filling underground areas. Ten stations, together with Soongsil College, Eungam and Myeongil, have 24-hour uncrewed pet provide outlets, whereas 9 stations, together with Sinyongsan and Sangsu, host staffless print outlets for doc providers.
In keeping with Seoul Metro, the variety of uncrewed shops inside the town’s subway stations typically elevated over time, rising from 15 in 2022 to twenty-eight in 2023, with a slight dip to 27 as of September final 12 months.
Seoul’s underground industrial areas hint again to the fast urbanization of the Seventies and Nineteen Eighties.
With hovering land costs and restricted floor space, metropolis planners and builders started turning to underground areas to fulfill industrial demand.
“In different main international cities like Tokyo, New York and London, underground areas had been initially developed to enhance transit connectivity or function emergency shelters,” stated Cho Gained-chul, professor emeritus of civil engineering at Yonsei College. “In distinction, Seoul prioritized industrial growth to maintain tempo with its financial increase.”
As we speak, these underground malls have develop into a important income stream for financially struggling transit operators.
In a metropolis of each day commuters, bus and subway fare hikes are politically delicate, usually considered by the general public very similar to tax will increase. As such, Seoul Metro, which operates the town’s majority of subway traces, has been more and more turning to industrial growth inside its stations to offset its mounting deficits, leasing retail house to distributors, he added.
The subway operator recorded a web lack of 724.1 billion received ($536.4 million) on the finish of final 12 months, a virtually 40 p.c bounce from 517.3 billion received in 2022.
Sinkholes, floor security issues
Whereas underground retail helps revitalize the native economic system and supply added comfort for customers, in addition they include rising issues over floor stability, in keeping with Kim Jae-gwan, professor of city engineering on the College of Seoul.
“When many industrial services are constructed inside subway stations, they considerably enhance the general structural load positioned on the bottom under. This added weight can put further stress on the underlying soil, notably in areas with mushy floor or excessive groundwater ranges,” Kim defined.
“On the identical time, they’ll disrupt the pure move of groundwater, which may result in uneven soil circumstances, drying out some areas whereas saturating others. This in the end weakens the steadiness of the bottom.”
He additionally famous that constructing underground services usually requires altering or increasing current constructions, which might intrude with the pure move of groundwater.
When this occurs, groundwater could also be blocked or start to build up in sure areas. Then some components of the soil can develop into overly dry, whereas others might develop into overly saturated. This sort of imbalance can weaken the bottom over time, the professor added.
Issues about floor stability heightened lately in main cities after a sequence of sinkhole incidents.
On March 24, a motorist was swallowed by a significant sinkhole measuring 20 meters broad and 18 meters deep that opened out of the blue at an intersection close to an elementary faculty in Gangdong-gu, japanese Seoul. He was later discovered lifeless.
One other massive sinkhole measuring 5 meters broad and 4.5 meters deep opened up underneath a pedestrian crossing close to a subway building website in Sasang-gu, Busan on April 14. No accidents had been reported.
Whereas there isn’t any direct proof linking the event of underground services to sinkholes, poor administration throughout building can contribute to their formation, stated professor Park Chang-geun of the civil engineering division at Catholic Kwandong College.
“Sinkholes are primarily brought on by defective building practices, reminiscent of improper excavation, insufficient soil stabilization or poor backfilling,” Park stated. Backfilling refers back to the strategy of refilling an excavated space with soil, sand, gravel or different supplies to forestall floor collapse.
“In a rustic with restricted land, the event of underground industrial services shouldn’t be solely an environment friendly but in addition an inevitable answer. Nonetheless, with out cautious administration throughout building, the danger of floor instability stays a critical concern.”
