Public transport favored within Seoul metro area but cars preferred when going outside capital, data analysis finds
Published: 03 Dec. 2025, 17:38
![Commuters board buses at a bus stop near Seoul Station in Jung District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/03/b831bd2a-7cd3-4de7-86fa-cb431efb2f14.jpg)
Commuters board buses at a bus stop near Seoul Station in Jung District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]
People use public transportation to go from Gyeonggi and Incheon into the capital city, but use their cars to travel outside of Seoul, according to the latest data.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday released the results of its Seoul metropolitan area mobility data analysis, conducted with mobile carrier KT, which provides a detailed breakdown of mobility patterns across the region.
The dataset, published on the city’s open data platform, divides all of Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon into 250-meter (820-feet) grid squares — 41,023 in total — and compiles trip volume every 20 minutes, classified by distance, purpose and transport mode.
A city official said the system offers “the country’s first integrated mobility analysis framework, up to 35 times more detailed than the traditional city–county or township-level analyses,” and allows authorities to identify “first-mile and last-mile movements — including walking, driving and pre- and post-transfer segments — that could not be captured with transit-card data alone.”
Seoul and KT cross-analyzed seven trip purposes — commuting, school, returning home, shopping, tourism, hospital visits and other — with eight modes of transport — air, train, express bus, intercity bus, city bus, subway, walking and car — to determine which modes people chose for which purposes.
![Seoul's Open Data Plaza releases the Seoul metropolitan area mobility data analysis which provides detailed analysis of actual movement patterns in the capital region. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/03/59c223e5-a470-41ca-89c1-54306e0c2f27.jpg)
Seoul's Open Data Plaza releases the Seoul metropolitan area mobility data analysis which provides detailed analysis of actual movement patterns in the capital region. [NEWS1]
The analysis found clear differences by distance. People favored buses for short trips of 1 to 4 kilometers (0.62 to 2.48 miles), subways for midrange trips of 5 to 19 kilometers, and cars for longer trips of 20 to 35 kilometers. Distinct mobility patterns by trip type emerged from the data.
Preferences also varied by age group. Among people in their 20s and 30s, subway use accounted for 48 percent of trips — the highest share. Those in their 40s and 50s relied most on cars, amounting up to 45 percent, while people 60 and older also showed a high subway share at 44 percent.
Interregional mobility across the greater Seoul region revealed even sharper contrasts. When traveling from Gyeonggi or Incheon into Seoul, residents used public transportation 60 percent of the time — the highest share.
![Commuters hurry to work using the subway at Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/03/1a8db234-9cbf-4e1f-816a-d6f66a954957.jpg)
Commuters hurry to work using the subway at Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]
“Central Seoul offers excellent access to public transit, and workplaces and schools are concentrated near subway stations, so commuting and school trips naturally center around rail,” the city said.
In contrast, when traveling from Seoul to Gyeonggi or Incheon, the percentage of car users jumped significantly to between 68 and 73 percent. The city said outer metropolitan areas generally have less dense transit networks and lower proximity between homes and workplaces, leading to a car-dependent travel pattern.
Greater Seoul mobility data is updated monthly and daily on the open data platform, providing information such as origin and destination neighborhoods, travel mode by time of day, gender- and age-specific trip counts, travel distance and travel time. Seoul plans to use the data to optimize metropolitan bus routes, improve roads and pedestrian areas and support urban regeneration and station-area development projects.
![A late-night owl bus operates in Seoul. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/03/41ba0adb-ffe7-4bc8-9e62-de21fcca859f.jpg)
A late-night owl bus operates in Seoul. [JOONGANG ILBO]
“We will continue identifying and releasing datasets that can meaningfully improve people’s lives and lead AI- and data-driven urban innovation,” said Kang Ok-hyun, General Director of Digital City Bureau of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
On the same day, the city also announced year-end measures to increase bus and taxi availability. Seoul will add 1,000 taxis during late-night hours throughout December.
Corporate taxi companies will assign more drivers to night shifts, while the city will encourage private taxi owners to operate on Thursday and Friday nights. Temporary taxi stands will be set up in areas with heavy demand, such as Gangnam and Jongno District.
Bus services will also be expanded. From Dec. 15 to 31, the last buses at 11 major locations — including Gangnam Station, Jongno 2-ga, Yeouido and Myeongdong — will run until 1 a.m. from Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays. From Dec. 17 to 31, the city will add 28 late-night owl buses, bringing the total to 168, operating Tuesday through Saturday.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY MOON HEE-CHUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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