Seoul Subway Line 5

Line 5
4th Generation Line 5 train
Overview
Native name	5호선(五號線) O Hoseon
Status	Operational
Termini	Banghwa Hanam Geomdansan / Macheon
Stations	57
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Seoul Metropolitan Subway
Operator	Seoul Metro
Daily ridership	944,969 (2024)
Ridership	345.86 million (2024) ( 3.3%)
History
Opened	15 November 1995; 30 years ago (15 November 1995)
Last extension	2021
Technical
Line length	58.9 km (36.6 mi)
Num of tracks	2
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Route map

Seoul Subway Line 5 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, dubbed the violet line, is a long line crossing from west to the east across the Seoul National Capital Area, South Korea. It is one of two subway lines in Seoul to cross under the Han River (the other being the Suin-Bundang Line), which is done at two points (between Mapo and Yeouinaru, and also between Gwangnaru and Cheonho). The main line runs through to Hanam Geomdansan Station while the branch line from Gangdong Station terminates at Macheon Station. In 2019, Line 5 carried an annual ridership of 334 million or about 915,000 passengers per day. It is the only line so far to have no above-ground stations, though it initially shared this distinction with Line 6 before the construction of Sinnae station.

Line 5 has a different station sign design compared to the first four lines; its station signs have purple or blue arrowhead-shaped designs with their station's number printed in the top, the Hangul name in the centre, and the English and Hanja names on the bottom, with an arm pointing out of the end of the arrowhead indicating the next station, with the straight part of the arrowhead holding the previous station's name. This design would be repeated in Lines 7 and 8, while a similar design with a chevron-shaped sign would be employed in Line 6.

The total length of this line is 58.9 kilometres (36.6 mi). Upon opening, it was among the longest underground railway tunnels of any kind constructed. Today it is the 8th longest continuous underground subway tunnel in the world, just behind Chengdu Metro Line 6, Qingdao Metro Line 1, Guangzhou Metro Line 18, Guangzhou Metro Line 3, Moscow Metro Bolshaya Koltsevaya Line, Beijing Subway Line 10 and Beijing Subway Line 6. Line 5 is also the first subway and passenger railway line in the Korean Peninsula to directly serve an airport, when the line was extended westward to Banghwa via Gimpo International Airport in 1996.

History

The line was built 1990–1996 and is an important east–west link connecting Gimpo Airport, the Yeouido business area, downtown Seoul, and the Gangdong residential districts.

In 1996 Line 5 was implemented with Automatic train operation. However, it was deemed that a driver would be necessary in case of a breakdown of the automation system, therefore each subway train has one driver on board.

It was the world's longest underground railway line for 9 years until Guangzhou Metro Line 3 came into operation in 2005.

In December 2010 the line is recorded as having the third highest WiFi data consumption in the Seoul Metropolitan area. It averaged 1.67 times more than the other 14 subway lines fitted with WiFi service zones.

The main branch of the line was extended to the city of Hanam with a total of 5 stations spanning 6.5 km. The extension opened in two stages; the first opened on August 8, 2020, and the other opened on March 27, 2021.

Tourism

In January 2013, the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, which operated the line at the time, published free guidebooks features eight tours as well as recommendations for accommodations, restaurants and shopping centers. These guidebooks were printed in three languages: English, Japanese and Chinese (simplified and traditional). They were distributed from information centers on this line.

The tours are designed with different themes for travel along the subway lines, e.g. Korean traditional culture. The destinations range from Jongno 3-ga Station to Anguk Station and Gyeongbokgung Station on line No 3 showcasing antique shops and art galleries of Insa-dong.

In the summer of 2013, the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation to display water parks that are located near stations operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation on the LCD screens both inside the train, and on the station platforms.

Stations

Main Line

Station Number	Station Name English	Station Name Hangul	Transfer	Distance in km	Total Distance	Location
500	Nusan (2033)[citation needed]	누산		---	---	Gyeonggi-do	Gimpo-si
501	Seokmo (2033)[citation needed]	석모		---	---
502	Janggi (2033)[citation needed]	장기		---	---
503	Gamjeong (2033)[citation needed]	감정	(Goyang branch)	---	---
504	Singeomdanjungang (2033)[citation needed]	신검단중앙		---	---	Incheon	Geomdan-gu
505	Ara (2033)[citation needed]	아라		---	---
506	Pungmu (2033)[citation needed]	풍무		---	---	Gyeonggi-do	Gimpo-si
507	Hyangsan (2033)[citation needed]	향산		---	---
508	Jeonho (2033)[citation needed]	전호		---	---
509	Gangseo Hakang Park (2033)[citation needed]	강서한강공원		---	---	Seoul	Gangseo-gu
510	Banghwa	방화		---	0.0
511	Gaehwasan	개화산		0.9	0.9
512	Gimpo Int'l Airport	김포공항		1.2	2.1
513	Songjeong	송정		1.2	3.3
514	Magok (Home & Shopping)	마곡 (홈앤쇼핑)		1.1	4.4
515	Balsan	발산		1.2	5.6
516	Ujangsan	우장산		1.1	6.7
517	Hwagok	화곡		1.0	7.7
518	Kkachisan	까치산	(Sinjeong branch)	1.2	8.9
519	Sinjeong (Eunhaengjeong)	신정 (은행정)		1.3	10.2		Yangcheon-gu
520	Mok-dong	목동		0.8	11.0
521	Omokgyo (Mokdong Stadium)	오목교 (목동운동장앞)		0.9	11.9
522	Yangpyeong	양평		1.1	13.0		Yeongdeungpo-gu
523	Yeongdeungpo-gu Office	영등포구청		0.8	13.8
524	Yeongdeungpo Market	영등포시장		0.9	14.7
525	Singil	신길		1.1	15.8
526	Yeouido	여의도		1.0	16.8
527	Yeouinaru	여의나루		1.0	17.8
528	Mapo	마포		1.8	19.6		Mapo-gu
529	Gongdeok	공덕		0.8	20.4
530	Aeogae	애오개		1.1	21.5
531	Chungjeongno (Kyonggi Univ.)	충정로 (경기대입구)		0.9	22.4		Seodaemun-gu
532	Seodaemun (Kangbuk Samsung Hospital)	서대문 (강북삼성병원)		0.7	23.1		Jongno-gu
533	Gwanghwamun (Sejong Center for the Performing Arts)	광화문 (세종문화회관)		1.1	24.2
534	Jongno 3(sam)-ga (Tapgol Park)	종로3가 (탑골공원)		1.2	25.4
535	Euljiro 4(sa)-ga (BC Card)	을지로4가 (BC카드)		1.0	26.4		Jung-gu
536	Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (DDP)	동대문역사문화공원 (DDP)		0.9	27.3
537	Cheonggu	청구		0.9	28.2
538	Singeumho	신금호		0.9	29.1		Seongdong-gu
539	Haengdang	행당		0.8	29.9
540	Wangsimni (Seongdong-gu Office)	왕십리 (성동구청)		0.9	30.8
541	Majang	마장		0.7	31.5
542	Dapsimni	답십리		1.0	32.5		Dongdaemun-gu
543	Janghanpyeong	장한평		1.2	33.7
544	Gunja (Neung-dong)	군자 (능동)		1.5	35.2		Gwangjin-gu
545	Achasan (Rear Entrance to Seoul Children's Grand Park)	아차산 (어린이대공원후문)		1.0	36.2
546	Gwangnaru (Presbyterian Univ. & Theological Seminary)	광나루 (장신대)		1.5	37.7
547	Cheonho (Pungnaptoseong)	천호 (풍납토성)		2.0	39.7		Gangdong-gu
548	Gangdong (Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital)	강동 (강동성심병원)	(for Macheon)	0.8	40.5
549	Gil-dong	길동		0.9	41.4
550	Gubeundari (Gangdong Community Center)	굽은다리 (강동구민회관앞)		0.8	42.2
551	Myeongil	명일		0.7	42.9
552	Godeok (Kyung Hee Univ. Hospital at Gangdong)	고덕 (강동경희대병원)	(2028)	1.2	44.1
553	Sangil-dong	상일동		1.1	45.2
554	Gangil	강일		0.7	45.9
555	Misa	미사		1.7	47.6	Gyeonggi-do	Hanam-si
556	Hanam Pungsan	하남풍산		2.1	49.7
557	Hanam City Hall (Deokpung & Sinjang)	하남시청 (덕풍·신장)	(2032)	1.3	51.0
558	Hanam Geomdansan	하남검단산		1.7	52.7

Macheon Branch

Station Number	Station Name English	Station Name Hangul	Transfer	Distance in km	Total Distance	Location
548	Gangdong (Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital)	강동 (강동성심병원)	(for Hanam Geomdansan)	0.8	40.5	Seoul	Gangdong-gu
P549	Dunchon-dong	둔촌동		1.2	41.7
P550	Olympic Park (Korea National Sport Univ.)	올림픽공원 (한국체대)		1.4	43.1		Songpa-gu
P551	Bangi	방이		0.9	44.0
P552	Ogeum	오금		0.9	44.9
P553	Gaerong	개롱		0.9	45.8
P554	Geoyeo	거여		0.9	46.7
P555	Macheon	마천		0.9	47.6

Rolling stock

Ridership

Seoul Subway Line 5 Ridership
Year	Ridership	Change (%)	Remarks
2026	177,906,025	-	Updated as of June 2026
2025	347,960,248	0.6	Highest on record
2024	345,858,654	3.3
2023	334,884,000	8.7	Restoration of 2019 ridership
2022	308,022,000	11.6
2021	276,001,000	6.7	Extension from Hanam Pungsan to Hanam Geodamsan opens for service
2020	258,551,000	22.6	COVID-19 pandemic Extension from Sangil-dong to Hanam Pungsan opens for service
2019	333,836,000	1.6
2018	328,528,000	0.2
2017	327,891,000	0.0
2016	327,935,000	6.3
2015	308,501,000	1.2
2014	312,163,000	0.9
2013	309,511,000	0.8
2012	307,046,000	1.9
2011	301,380,000	1.7
2010	296,458,000	1.4
2009	292,496,000	2.0
2008	298,451,000	0.4	Opening of Magok station between Songjeong and Balsan
2007	297,274,000	0.9
2006	300,028,000	1.8
2005	305,608,000	2.1
2004	312,313,000	1.8
2003	306,868,000	1.9
2002	301,195,000	0.3
2001	301,992,000	47.8	Vast network expansion of Seoul Metropolitan Subway
2000	204,351,000	28.0
1999	283,667,000	43.6
1998	197,538,000	3.1
1997	191,521,000	-

Notes

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Seoul Subway Line 5.

• Subways in South Korea
• Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation
• Seoul Metropolitan Subway

References