The Seoul Metro is a crucial element in a foreign fangirl's Seoul itinerary. Hallyu's vitality pulsates through the complex, extensive and impressive subway system during concerts, album and product promotions, tv broadcasts and anytime in between! It is a vital lifeline to all kinds of fandom and bears witness to both extreme ecstasy and despair ㅋㅋㅋ.
I clearly remember the subway scene at the time I watched my very first kpop concert at the Jamsil Stadium. The excitement was palpable from the very moment we got off the train and into the platform. We followed the hurried footsteps of the other fangirls who alighted at the station. This was the first fangirling trick I learned. When in doubt, follow the fangirls^^. There were ahjussi's and ahjumma's selling lightsticks and other fan paraphernalia near the exits … But we passed them in a hurry since the free concert was about to start already. The freezing autumn evening breeze washed over us as we left the shelter of the subway … and that was how the memory of my first Hallyu immersion began.
Lucky for us, our first concert ended well before midnight so we were able to get back into the subway and safely head home. There was another time when we watched a different concert at the Olympic Stadium and it ended at around 11pm. There were painfully long lines at the single journey ticket counter, the card reload stations, and the toilets! So a second useful tip will be to have a loaded T-money card for concert transpo! The subway stop was chock full of fangirls and we were at a standstill by the stairs past the turnstiles. It took us a long while to board the train but no one was really paying attention to the time. The air was buzzing with wildly excited chatter, barely restrained cheers and pounding hearts. But everything felt like an alternate universe for me as my happily intoxicated heart was floating serenely up above it all. I saw my idols up close and everything seemed too unreal… So I was staging a private MV on my head~ staring blankly at the train window as the dark night rushed past us along the way.
And then there was a announcement made over the subway PA system. It was already midnight and they were stopping the subway operations. Everyone should alight from this stop. It was a sudden crisis which jolted me back to real time. We were a long way from our hotel stop but we had no choice but to follow all the other passengers off the station. I actually thought that all trains would have to end their journey at the last stop. We were complacent and felt that all we had to do was board the train and it will get us home. The crowd of people off one of the exits were all flagging the taxis passing by. Because most of the driver ahjussis refused our destination, it took us almost an hour to get into a taxi headed for Yeouido ㅠㅠ. What a way to burst my concert bubble, right? That taught us the importance of evaluating the subway journey time especially on late nights.
First trains are just as important as last trains. On another occasion, we were planning to go to a comeback recording and we had to confirm what time does the earliest train leave our subway stop. We headed out at dawn around 6ish to catch our first train. On board were fellow fangirls who wanted to queue as live audience for Inkigayo! Since we were the foreigners, we were sort of feeling them out, figuring which fandom they belong to and all that. Once we reached the stop nearest the broadcasting studio, the mini race started. All the fangirls got off and tried not to but eventually had to sprint to the exits and transfer onto taxis. You see the competition is fierce for live show audiences hehe … We got there well before 7am for a pre-recording happening at 11am and there was already a HUGE crowd of people. I managed to make the 230+ mark and was able to enter the studio and sit on the last row! That was worth my very early morning haha, especially since all the other girls apparently lined up since 4ish with some devotees even spending an all-nighter OUTSIDE.
So indeed, I've spent plenty of tension-filled moments on subway platforms and exits hahaha! I should mention that subway toilet lines could be just as stressful as the race to the exits especially during cold and rainy days. But all of these are most definitely part of fangirling. Nobody ever said being in a fandom is easy.
On a lighter note, the subway hosts a lot of pleasant mini hallyu experiences as well. It is such a delight to check out the fangoods sold at subway exits during special events. The curious thing is that the ahjussi's and ahjumma's sell items from artists who are not even performing on the event hehehe. Additional eye candies are welcome, of course. Aside from these, there are huge idol advertisements on the platform and on the trains itself. Idol magazines can also be picked out from the newspaper and magazine stands inside the paid area. These are just minute amusement options while waiting for the train.
As a tourist, subways also offer an intimate cultural experience. You get to ride with Seoulites on their daily commute and observe the dynamics of their everyday lives. It's interesting to see how almost everyone is bent over their smartphones watching live tv or recorded broadcasts. And these netizens on the move walk really fast, I tell you. The torturous long transfers in between stations are quite easy for these Seoulites.
I am also fascinated with the diversity in the designs of subway stations. Here are some memorable visuals from some pretty stops.
Lastly, most fans would already know how to get T-money cards with their idols on it, right? Yeah, I'll make sure to get THOSE next time.
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