Seoul Metro has begun preliminary procedures to add a new exit next to Exit 9 at Hongik Univ. (Hongdae) Station on Line 2, a chronic bottleneck. The agency is seeking to build another exit because the area is one of Seoul's leading cultural hubs, packed with diverse clubs, lounge bars, and trendy pubs that draw young people from Korea and abroad. Hongik Univ. Station, along with Jamsil Station, is one of the only Seoul subway stations used by more than 150,000 people per day on average. But the station was built in the 1980s, its exit stairways are narrow, and the structure makes it hard to disperse dense crowds.
On the 4th, the Public Procurement Service's Nara Market said Seoul Metro posted a bid notice on the 21st of the last month for the "underground safety assessment service for the construction of a new exit at Hongik Univ. Station on Line 2." Bid submissions ran from the 27th of the last month until 10 a.m. on the 29th, and the opening of bids took place at 11 a.m. on the 29th of the last month. The base amount is about 178.52 million won, and the service period is 240 days (eight months) from the start date. The target completion for the new exit is 2028.
Under the Special Act on the Management of Underground Safety, an underground safety assessment is mandatory at the design stage for excavation projects above a certain scale. Based on this assessment, local governments grant construction approval.
The new exit Seoul Metro plans at Hongik Univ. Station will connect directly to the heart of the Hongdae street area. In terms of current numbering, it will be Exit 8-1, located between Exit 8 and Exit 9. The quickest way now to reach the center of Hongdae's main street is to get off at Exit 9 of Hongik Univ. on Line 2 and head southeast along the left-hand road. As a result, Exit 9 suffers from severe congestion. In addition, because the station was built in the 1980s, the exit stairways are narrow, and surrounding buildings make widening difficult. According to Seoul Metro, the station with the most daily boardings and alightings is Jamsil, with an average of 156,177 people per day, followed by Hongik Univ. Station in second with 150,369. Gangnam Station ranks third with 149,757.
Seoul Metro aims to disperse the passenger flow concentrated at Exit 9 by opening Exit 8-1. According to the design, once you come up to street level via the new Exit 8-1, you can directly access the crosswalk leading to the center platforms of the median bus-only lane on Yanghwa-ro. Going down underground leads directly to the Line 2 ticket gates right ahead. The exit will also have both up and down escalators. Currently, Exit 9 cannot accommodate escalators due to its narrow width and heavy usage.
An industry official said, "It's hard to see the addition of a single exit alone as a major boon that will directly drive up surrounding real estate prices," but added, "If access improves at Hongik Univ. Station, long notorious for chronic congestion, the time people spend within the commercial district will increase, which could naturally lead to higher leasing demand and a virtuous cycle of revitalizing the area."
Meanwhile, Hongik Univ. Station will also be served by the Daejang-Hongdae Line, slated to open in 2031. The Daejang-Hongdae Line is a metropolitan rail project about 20 kilometers in total length, linking Daejang New Town in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, and Hongik Univ. Station in Seoul. Once the line is complete, Hongik Univ. Station will become a transfer hub where four lines meet, adding to the existing Line 2, Airport Railroad, and Gyeongui-Jungang Line. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Dec. last year, and construction began. When the line opens, travel time from Bucheon to the Hongdae-Mapo area is expected to be cut to around 20 minutes.