Gangnam station
Gangnam Station is a station in the Gangnam District of Seoul, on the Seoul Subway Line 2. This station serves as a crucial transfer point between Line 2 and buses to all over Seoul and southern Gyeonggi Province. It became the northern terminus of the Sinbundang Line on October 29, 2011, the southern terminus being at Jeongja Station.
Both stations have two tracks and two side platforms.
History
- December 23, 1982 - Line 2 station completed.
- October 29, 2011 - Sinbundang Line station completed.
The station
The area surrounding the station is an important commercial and entertainment district. The station is located at the western end of Teheranno, home to many corporate headquarters and impressive towers, while the area immediately to the north of the station is densely packed with bars, restaurants and clubs. There are also many shops in the subway station below ground. In 2007, the area was the 10th most expensive shopping street in the world with an average rent of US$431 per square foot.[1]
The section of Gangnam Boulevard from exit No.2 of this station to exit No.5 of Sinnonhyeon Station of Line 9 is designated as a smoke-free zone by the Gangnam District office.[2]
Line 2 runs on the right hand track, whereas the Sinbundang Line runs on the left hand track; this is because the Sinbundang Line is a national railway line (which typically runs on the left), while Line 2 is a subway line (which typically runs on the right in Seoul). This can be confusing to tourists making a transfer here, as many tourists are accustomed to riding on either the left-hand track or the right-hand track.
Station layout
| G | Street level | Exit |
| L1 Concourse |
Lobby | Customer Service, Shops, Vending machines, ATMs |
| L2 Platform level |
||
| Inner loop | ← Line 2 toward Chungjeongno (Seoul Nat'l Univ. of Education) | |
| Outer loop | → Line 2 toward City Hall (Yeoksam) → | |
| L3 Platform level |
||
| Southbound | → Sinbundang Line toward Jeongja (Yangjae) → | |
| Northbound | ← Sinbundang Line Alighting passengers only (No service: Sinnonhyeon) | |
Passenger load
In 2007, it was the busiest subway station in the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, with approximately 123,000 daily passengers using it on average.[3]
In a survey conducted in 2011 by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs on 92 Administrative divisions across the country, it reported that Gangnam Station had a daily average of 110,129 people boarding and 114,338 people alighting the subway. Making this the busiest public transit stop, with more than 100,000 people every day.[4]
Vicinity
The headquarter of South Korean skincare and cosmetics manufacturer Skin Food is located in the DaeRyung Scecho Tower in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu nearby to this station.[5]
References
- ^ "New York's Fifth Avenue tops the ranking of the world's most expensive shopping locations". Cushman & Wakefield Inc. 14 Nov 2007.
- ^ Kwon, Sang-soo (12 September 2012). "City designates area by COEX as smoke-free". Joongang Daily. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ Friday and Gangnam station attract the largest number of passengers, Money Today, August 7, 2005. Template:Ko icon
- ^ "Gangnam Busiest Subway Station in Korea". Chosun Ilbo. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ^ "Skin Food<Headquarter Address". Skin Food official website. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
