The number of late-night subway passengers in Seoul after midnight has fallen sharply. As workplace dinner culture shrinks and more young people avoid drinking, demand for late-night travel itself is changing.
According to an analysis of subway usage patterns before and after COVID-19 released by Seoul Metro on Friday, the number of late-night weekday riders boarding after midnight fell 23.7%, from a daily average of 20,516 in 2019 to 15,653 in 2025.
Over the same period, the total daily average number of riders fell 7.5%, from 5,476,000 to 5,067,000. By comparison, the rate of decline for late-night ridership was more than three times higher.
Stations with high late-night ridership were concentrated in areas packed with major commercial districts and cultural facilities. The top station for weekday late-night ridership in 2025 was Gangnam Station (599 riders), followed by Hongik University Station (590), Jamsil Station (483), Konkuk University Station (443), and Hapjeong Station (428).
Compared with 2019, Gangnam Station fell by nearly half from 1,109 riders, while Hongik University Station dropped sharply from 830 and Konkuk University Station from 708.
Seoul Metro cited the spread of remote work and the establishment of an early-return-home culture as the background for these changes. It also analyzed that the "Sober Life" trend spreading among the younger generation — a preference for a life without intoxication — is accelerating the decline in late-night travel demand.
The avoidance of drinking among young people is confirmed simultaneously in several statistics. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's 2025 National Health and Nutrition Survey, the proportion of young people aged 19 to 29 who rarely drink or drink once a month or less reached a record high of 56.0% in 2024. Compared with 2005 (37.9%), when the survey began, the figure jumped by more than 18 percentage points over 20 years.
An analysis by NH NongHyup Bank of 260 million consumption data points from more than 12 million people in December last year also found that the number of card payments at bars declined to 76.6% of the 2023 level, while the number of bar-category merchants fell 19.7% from three years earlier. National Tax Service data showed that beer halls and small bars decreased by 9.5% and 10.4% respectively, meaning that one in 10 bars has closed.
"Since COVID, citizens' travel patterns are being reorganized to be more regular and centered on daily life," said Ma Hae-geun, head of Seoul Metro's business operations division. "We plan to continue strengthening services that consider both operational efficiency and safety in line with changes in transport demand."
