Sinchon — Local services in Seoul

Visited this area in Seoul while on a summer exchange program to Yonsei University. The area was relatively happening and I had a blast tasting the local street food sold by street vendors in the area.

While travelling around Seoul on the metro, you can find very well-designed multilingual signs at every station. The signs are displayed in four languages - Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese - to cater to commuters speaking different languages, be they Koreans or tourists. The signs serve to clearly indicate to the commuters which station they are at, as well as indicate to them what are the adjacent stations along the line.

Linguistic Analysis: Code preference system: The sign prioritizes Korean at the top, followed by English, and then Chinese and Japanese. This order likely reflects the hierarchy of different languages in South Korea, where Korean serves as the national language, English is typically used to converse with foreign tourists, and Chinese and Japanese are used for Chinese and Japanese tourists respectively. The addition of Chinese and Japanese texts likely reflects the relative abundance of Chinese and Japanese tourists in South Korea, as well as the geographical proximity between South Korea, China, and Japan.

Inscription system: The sign uses color that corresponds to that of the metro line, such that commuters can clearly identify which metro line they are on. The texts and station number are featured in large fonts to enhance readability to the commuters. However, it is also of note that the font size decreases from Korean to English, and further decreases for the Chinese and Japanese texts. Again, this likely reflects the language hierarchy mentioned above. The sign is also made of relatively durable material, indicating its long term use.

Emplacement system: The sign is prominently placed on a column at the platform of the station. In addition, the large size of the sign also ensures high visibility, not just to commuters on the platform, but also to commuters on the train, such that they can easily identify their location.

Context and Sociolinguistic Implications: The sign captures the diverse sociolinguistic environment of Seoul, where the local Korean language intersects with other languages due to global tourism. The multilingual sign indexes the status of Seoul as an international tourist attraction, while being mindful of the linguistic repertoire of...

Not particularly friendly for those with walking difficulties, lifts are sparse and there are a lot of steps. They're working to improve the situation though. Station has an accessible toilet without needing a ticket, you can't change trains here without going outside the station.

Near to the lively Sinchon area home of three universities; Yonsei, Ewha, and Sogang. Sinchon lacks the fashion scene of Hongdae but has a plethora of bars and...

Nice shopping area. I had a blast with my friend playing arcade games here (boxing, baseball, archery, darts and shooting). Apparently this place caters to young people so there are alot of arcades and...