As lost items are increasing in the Seoul subway, the types of lost items are also diversifying.
According to the Seoul Transportation Corporation on the 27th, the number of lost items reported in the Seoul subway over the past year was 152,540. This is an increase of about 4% compared to 146,944 reports in 2023.
Last year, an average of about 418 lost items were reported daily in the Seoul subway. This is equivalent to 1 in 61 citizens losing an item on the subway.
The most commonly lost item was a wallet. Last year, wallets topped the list of lost items in the subway with 36,152 cases, accounting for 23.7% of all lost items. They were followed by clothing (15.3%), mobile phones (13.8%), bags (13.2%), and valuables (5.8%).
With the ‘bag decorating’ craze among the MZ (Millennial + Z) generation, the loss of keychain dolls has also increased. The Seoul Transportation Corporation noted that keychains are being reported in such high numbers that they need to be stored separately at the lost and found center.
At places like Seongsu Station, there have been instances where people take only the ‘idol photo cards’ from the Korean food purchased at pop-up stores, leaving behind remaining food like ramen in the subway.
The corporation explained that unique lost items are also occasionally reported. These include pets like birds and reptiles, shamanic items containing golden toads and bells, mannequin heads, and barbershop signs.
Out of 569.5 million won in cash found in the subway last year, 439.5 million won (77.2%) was returned to its owner. The remaining 130 million won (22.8%), which had no claimant, was handed over to the police.
Out of a total of 152,540 lost items in the subway last year, 86,687 items (56.8%) were returned to their owners. The remaining 42,521 items (27.9%) were transferred to the police. 23,332 items (15.3%) have yet to find their owners and are being held.
The station with the most lost items reported was Bulamsan Station (formerly Dangogae Station) on Line 4, with 7,391 items. It was followed by Banghwa Station on Line 5 (5,249 items) and Ogeum Station on Line 3 (4,345 items).