Escalator Etiquette Debate Heats Up in South Korea

Whether authorities should encourage escalator passengers to stand on both sides or leave one side open for walking is a long-running debate in South Korea that has recently gained traction amid safety concerns, The Korea Bizwire reports. For decades, South Koreans have favored standing on the right while leaving the left clear for those who want to go faster, a practice that emerged in the late 1990s to improve traffic flow. With the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Korea Elevator Safety Agency considering a campaign to encourage two-lane standing, the debate that has flipflopped over the years has reignited. A nationwide campaign launched in 2007 to encourage two-lane standing was abandoned in 2015 amid both lack of support and lack of evidence linking leaving one lane open to accidents. Today, guidance remains ambiguous, with operators like Seoul Metro emphasizing basic safety rules — such as holding onto handrails — and commuters contending that “two-line standing is impractical during rush hour.”