# Seoul Subway Line 2

Seoul Subway Line 2 (Korean: 서울 지하철 2호선), also known as the Circle Line, is a circular line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. The line running clockwise is called the "inner circle line" and the counter-clockwise line is called the "outer circle line". This is Seoul's most heavily used line, and consists of the main loop (48.8 km (30.3 mi)), the Seongsu Branch (5.4 km (3.4 mi)) and the Sinjeong Branch (6.0 km (3.7 mi)) for a total line length of 60.2 km (37.4 mi). The Line 2 loop is the third longest subway loop in the world after Moscow Metro Bolshaya Koltsevaya line and Beijing Subway Line 10. In 2019, Line 2 had an annual ridership of 812 million passengers or 2.2 million passengers per day.
Headways on the line vary from 2 minutes 18 seconds on peak periods and 5–6 minutes off-peak periods. The line connects the city centre to Gangnam, Teheran Valley and the COEX/KWTC complex.

## History

In 1972, then-Mayor of Seoul Koo Ja-choon [ko] (1932–1996) changed the existing plans for the Seoul Subway to better enable connectivity around the growing Seoul City and allow for development to take place across the Seoul Metropolitan Area. Line 2 was built in 1978–84 together with the Seongsu Branch (the second Sinjeong Branch was built 1989–95). Dangsan bridge was closed for reconstruction in 1996 and reopened November 22, 1999. The old steel girder bridge was replaced by a 1.3-kilometre (0.81 mi) long concrete bridge between Dangsan on the southern side of the river and Hapjeong on the northern bank.
Yongdu station on the Seongsu Branch (between Sindap and Sinseol stations) is the first station in the Seoul Subway system with operating platform screen doors. As of 2008 platform screen doors are operating at all stations along Line 2. New rolling stock has also progressively came on line, replacing older vehicles.
* October 31, 1980: Sinseol-dong – Sports Complex (via Seongsu) section opened
* December 23, 1982: Sports Complex – Seoul Nat'l Univ. of Education section opened
* September 16, 1983: Euljiro 1-ga – Seongsu section opened; Sinseol-dong – Seongsu section separated as Seongsu Branch
* December 17, 1983: Seoul Nat'l Univ. of Education – Seoul Nat'l University section opened
* May 22, 1984: Seoul Nat'l University – Euljiro 1-ga (via Sindorim) section opened; the Circle Line (the longest in the world at 54.2 km (33.7 mi) until it was surpassed in 2013) is completed.
* May 22, 1992: Sindorim – Yangcheon-gu Office section opened as Sinjeong Branch
* February 29, 1996: Sinjeongnegeori Station opened as extension of Sinjeong Branch
* March 20, 1996: Kkachisan Station opened as extension of Sinjeong Branch
* October 20, 2005: Yongdu Station opened on the Seongsu Branch
* September 2010: Siemens Mobility ATP/ATO GoA 2 signalling system implemented on newer trains to increase frequencies and route capacity.

## Facilities

In December 2010 the line is recorded as having the highest WiFi data consumption in the Seoul Metropolitan area. It averaged 2.56 times more than the other 14 subway lines fitted with WiFi service zones.
In 2011, retailer Homeplus opened the world's first virtual supermarket at Seolleung station, where smartphone users can photograph the bar code of life-size pictures, on the walls and platform screen doors, of 500 items of food, toiletries, electronics etc., for delivery within the same day.

## Stations

All stations on all branches are in Seoul.

### Main Line

| Station Number | Station Name English | Station Name Hangul | Station Name Hanja | Transfer | Distance in km | Total Distance | Location |
| 201 | City Hall | 시청 | 市廳 | | --- | 0.0 | Jung-gu |
| 202 | Euljiro 1(il)-ga (Hana Bank) | 을지로입구 (하나은행) | 乙支路入口 | | 0.7 | 0.7 | Jung-gu |
| 203 | Euljiro 3(sam)-ga (Shinhan Card) | 을지로3가 (신한카드) | 乙支路三街 | | 0.8 | 1.5 | Jung-gu |
| 204 | Euljiro 4(sa)-ga (BC Card) | 을지로4가 (BC카드) | 乙支路四街 | | 0.6 | 2.1 | Jung-gu |
| 205 | Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (DDP) | 동대문역사문화공원 (DDP) | 東大門歷史文化公園 | | 1.0 | 3.1 | Jung-gu |
| 206 | Sindang | 신당 | 新堂 | | 0.9 | 4.0 | Jung-gu |
| 207 | Sangwangsimni | 상왕십리 | 上往十里 | | 0.9 | 4.9 | Seongdong-gu |
| 208 | Wangsimni (Seongdong-gu Office) | 왕십리 (성동구청) | 往十里 | | 0.8 | 5.7 | Seongdong-gu |
| 209 | Hanyang Univ. | 한양대 | 漢陽大 | | 1.0 | 6.7 | Seongdong-gu |
| 210 | Ttukseom | 뚝섬 | 뚝섬 | | 1.1 | 7.8 | Seongdong-gu |
| 211 | Seongsu | 성수 | 聖水 | (Seongsu branch) | 0.8 | 8.6 | Seongdong-gu |
| 212 | Konkuk Univ. | 건대입구 | 建大入口 | | 1.2 | 9.8 | Gwangjin-gu |
| 213 | Guui (Gwangjin-gu Office) | 구의 (광진구청) | 九宜 | | 1.6 | 11.4 | Gwangjin-gu |
| 214 | Gangbyeon (Dongseoul Bus Terminal) | 강변 (동서울터미널) | 江邊 | | 0.9 | 12.3 | Gwangjin-gu |
| 215 | Jamsillaru (Suhyup Insurance) | 잠실나루 (수협중앙회공제보험) | 蠶室나루 | | 1.8 | 14.1 | Songpa-gu |
| 216 | Jamsil (Songpa-gu Office) | 잠실 (송파구청) | 蠶室 | | 1.0 | 15.1 | Songpa-gu |
| 217 | Jamsilsaenae | 잠실새내 | 蠶室새내 | | 1.2 | 16.3 | Songpa-gu |
| 218 | Sports Complex | 종합운동장 | 綜合運動場 | | 1.2 | 17.5 | Songpa-gu |
| 219 | Samseong (World Trade Center Seoul) | 삼성 (무역센터) | 三成 | | 1.0 | 18.5 | Gangnam-gu |
| 220 | Seolleung (Acuon Savings Bank) | 선릉 (애큐온저축은행) | 宣陵 | | 1.3 | 19.8 | Gangnam-gu |
| 221 | Yeoksam (Centerfield) | 역삼 (센터필드) | 驛三 | | 1.2 | 21.0 | Gangnam-gu |
| 222 | Gangnam | 강남 | 江南 | | 0.8 | 21.8 | Gangnam-gu |
| 223 | Seoul Nat'l Univ. of Education (Court & Prosecutors' Office) | 교대 (법원·검찰청) | 敎大 | | 1.2 | 23.0 | Seocho-gu |
| 224 | Seocho | 서초 | 瑞草 | | 0.7 | 23.7 | Seocho-gu |
| 225 | Bangbae (Baekseok Arts Univ.) | 방배 (백석예술대) | 方背 | | 1.7 | 25.4 | Seocho-gu |
| 226 | Sadang | 사당 | 舍堂 | | 1.6 | 27.0 | Dongjak-gu |
| 227 | Nakseongdae (Ganggamchan) | 낙성대 (강감찬) | 落星垈 | | 1.7 | 28.7 | Gwanak-gu |
| 228 | Seoul Nat'l Univ. (Gwanak-gu Office) | 서울대입구 (관악구청) | 서울大入口 | | 1.0 | 29.7 | Gwanak-gu |
| 229 | Bongcheon | 봉천 | 奉天 | | 1.0 | 30.7 | Gwanak-gu |
| 230 | Sillim (Yangji Hospital) | 신림 (양지병원) | 新林 | | 1.1 | 31.8 | Gwanak-gu |
| 231 | Sindaebang | 신대방 | 新大方 | | 1.8 | 33.6 | Dongjak-gu |
| 232 | Guro Digital Complex (Wonkwang Digital Univ.) | 구로디지털단지 (원광디지털대) | 九老디지털團地 | | 1.1 | 34.7 | Guro-gu |
| 233 | Daerim (Guro-gu Office) | 대림 (구로구청) | 大林 | | 1.1 | 35.8 | Guro-gu |
| 234 | Sindorim | 신도림 | 新道林 | (Sinjeong branch) | 1.8 | 37.6 | Guro-gu |
| 235 | Mullae (Kim's Eye Hospital) | 문래 (김안과병원) | 文來 | | 1.2 | 38.8 | Yeongdeungpo-gu |
| 236 | Yeongdeungpo-gu Office | 영등포구청 | 永登浦區廳 | | 0.9 | 39.7 | Yeongdeungpo-gu |
| 237 | Dangsan | 당산 | 堂山 | | 1.1 | 40.8 | Yeongdeungpo-gu |
| 238 | Hapjeong (Holt Children's Services, Inc) | 합정 (홀트아동복지회) | 合井 | | 2.0 | 42.8 | Mapo-gu |
| 239 | Hongik Univ. (Eduwill Academy) | 홍대입구 (에듀윌학원) | 弘大入口 | | 1.1 | 43.9 | Mapo-gu |
| 240 | Sinchon | 신촌 (지하) | 新村 | | 1.3 | 45.2 | Mapo-gu |
| 241 | Ewha Womans Univ. | 이대 | 梨大 | | 0.8 | 46.0 | Mapo-gu |
| 242 | Ahyeon | 아현 | 阿峴 | | 0.9 | 46.9 | Mapo-gu |
| 243 | Chungjeongno (Kyonggi Univ.) | 충정로 (경기대입구) | 忠正路 | | 0.8 | 47.7 | Seodaemun-gu |

### Seongsu Branch

| Station Number | Station Name English | Station Name Hangul | Station Name Hanja | Transfer | Distance in km | Total Distance | Location |
| 211 | Seongsu | 성수 | 聖水 | (Main Line) | --- | 0.0 | Seongdong-gu |
| 211-1 | Yongdap | 용답 | 龍踏 | | 2.3 | 2.3 | Seongdong-gu |
| 211-2 | Sindap | 신답 | 新踏 | | 1.0 | 3.3 | Seongdong-gu |
| 211-3 | Yongdu (Dongdaemun-gu Office) | 용두 (동대문구청) | 龍頭 (東大門區廳) | | 0.9 | 4.2 | Dongdaemun-gu |
| 211-4 | Sinseol-dong | 신설동 | 新設洞 | | 1.2 | 5.4 | Dongdaemun-gu |

### Sinjeong Branch

| Station Number | Station Name English | Station Name Hangul | Station Name Hanja | Transfer | Distance in km | Total Distance | Location |
| 234 | Sindorim | 신도림 | 新道林 | (Main Line) | --- | 0.0 | Guro-gu |
| 234-1 | Dorimcheon | 도림천 | 道林川 | | 1.0 | 1.0 | Guro-gu |
| 234-2 | Yangcheon-gu Office | 양천구청 | 陽川區廳 | | 1.7 | 2.7 | Yangcheon-gu |
| 234-3 | Sinjeongnegeori | 신정네거리 | 新亭네거리 | | 1.9 | 4.6 | Yangcheon-gu |
| 234-4 | Kkachisan | 까치산 | 까치山 | | 1.4 | 6.0 | Gangseo-gu |

## Extension

There is a possible extension currently in the conception stage to extend the Sinjeong Branch to 3.7 km to Gayang Station on Line 9. The path would include a new station named Gangseo-gu Office in between Kkachisan and Gayang.

## Route map

Line 2 :
Legend :
(*) Under construction :

## Rolling stock

Five generations of Seoul Metro 2000 series trains have been used on Seoul Subway Line 2. As of March 2025, only third, fourth and fifth batch 2000 series trains are in operation (manufactured by Hyundai Rotem and Dawonsys respectively), since all first (MELCO thyristor chopper control) and second batch (GEC Traction/Alstom thyristor chopper control) trains have been retired between 2008 and 2023. All trains are stored and maintained at Sindap Depot on the Seongsu Branch and Sinjeong Depot on the Sinjeong Branch.