Interior ministry shifts escalator policy to safety culture over standing rules

The interior ministry said Wednesday it is abandoning its campaign for uniform two-line standing on escalators to focus on cultivating a voluntary safety culture through education and facility improvements. The shift follows a public forum where participants emphasized that safe usage matters more than rapid movement.

Officials announced they will revise the first basic plan for elevator and escalator safety management to replace the previous standing rule with a strategy centered on three core safety habits: holding the handrail, refraining from walking or running, and staying behind the safety line. Instead of blanket regulations, the government plans to deploy public workers and volunteers as safety guides only in high-risk sections with long travel distances or heavy congestion.

To support these measures, authorities will expand the installation of handrail sanitizers, floor markings, and informational signage. The policy change stems from a forum held Aug. 29 at Yonsei University, where about 200 citizens and experts discussed escalator accident causes and usage behaviors. Experts noted that walking on escalators increases shock to the steps and can delay maintenance, while many accidents occur when people lose balance trying to step aside.

Surveys conducted before and after the forum revealed support for safe movement rose 13.4 percentage points to 76.8 percent, while preference for rapid transit fell to 23.2 percent. Although approval for two-line standing increased, a majority still favored flexible application depending on the situation.

Park Hyung-bae, head of the ministry's Safety Prevention Policy Office, said the department will do its best to reflect valuable public opinions in its policies to make escalators safer and more convenient. He added that citizens should also join in practicing autonomous safety culture by adopting the three core safety habits in their daily lives.