South Korea is reopening a long-running debate over how people should ride escalators, moving safety back to the center of a cultural habit formed over three decades. On August 19, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said it would convene a public forum on August 29 at Yonsei University’s Baekyang Nuri Hall in Seoul to examine whether to encourage “two-line standing” on escalators, a shift from the embedded practice of standing on one side—typically the right—while leaving the other open for walkers. Officials say the goal is not to dictate a single method but to scrutinize accident patterns, rider behavior, equipment upkeep, and possible policy fixes.
Safety data have renewed urgency around the issue. From 2016 to 2025, South Korea recorded 135 serious escalator accidents, according to figures cited from the Korea Elevator Safety Agency. Of those, 90 cases, or 66.7%, were attributed to user fault, and roughly 77.8% involved falls. Older riders, particularly those 65 and above, represented a significant share of the victims. Incidents frequently occur when stationary riders twist their bodies or step aside to let walkers pass, risking a loss of balance, or when people move quickly on the escalator and collide with others. Safety authorities argue that having passengers stand on both sides can reduce these hazards.
Maintenance considerations also factor into the discussion. A government-commissioned study found that one-sided use concentrates stress on specific components: wear on the right-side chain wheels and guide rails exceeded that of the left by more than 95%, potentially shortening intervals between major repairs by about 15% to 20%. The findings suggest that etiquette is not merely a matter of courtesy but of infrastructure longevity and cost.
The norms themselves have swung over time. In 1998, the government and civic groups promoted single-line standing, a practice that spread rapidly around the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. Mounting concerns about accidents and uneven mechanical wear sparked a two-line campaign starting in 2007, but limited public buy-in and policy controversy led to its discontinuation in 2015. After an 11-year pause, authorities are again weighing whether two-line standing should be encouraged.
Next week’s “Everyone’s Forum” is designed to be participatory, drawing citizens, experts, and government officials for a broad, evidence-based conversation. Rather than immediate enforcement or penalties, the ministry is seeking social consensus on an approach commuters can accept in everyday life.
That may be the hardest part. For many riders—especially during rush-hour transfers—the walking lane is an ingrained time-saver. Yet South Korea’s heavy reliance on public transit and dense urban stations make escalator safety a prominent public concern. The outcome remains uncertain, but the debate highlights a familiar urban tradeoff: the desire for speed versus the need to protect people and preserve essential machinery.
