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Seoul Urbanism on TBS eFM’s Koreascape: the Driverless, Ad-Free, “Cultural” Ui-Sinseol Line

Each month I join Kurt Achin, host of Koreascape on Seoul’s English-language radio station TBS eFM, for an exploration of one of Seoul’s urban spaces. This time we ride the brand new Ui-Sinseol Light Rapid Transit (or Ui LRT), Korea’s very first driverless light-rail subway. Running from the center of the city out to Bukhansan on its northeastern edge, the line stops at thirteen stations, many of them designed as gallery spaces to display artwork old and new. None of it has to compete with ads for rider attention since, except for announcements of cultural events, the line doesn’t have any ads. Even these early months of operation have also already seen it equipped with machines where riders can check out and return library books, bowls full of poetry (one poem per person, please), and more.

Stay tuned for further explorations of Seoul’s architecture, infrastructure, and other parts of the built environment. You can hear our previous segments here.