Too hot, too cold: Invisible war over Seoul subway AC

“As summer temperatures begin to climb, the battle over the thermostat is moving underground. Inside the packed cars of the Seoul subway, transit officials are facing a paradox: hundreds of thousands of commuters demanding freezing air, while thousands of others beg for relief from the chill. According to data released Friday by Seoul Metro, the municipal operator handled over 1.01 million rider complaints last year. A staggering 78.4 percent — nearly 790,000 cases — were related to train temperatures, with the vast majority of riders protesting that cars were too hot. Yet, as customer service centers brace for the seasonal surge, transit officials have a message for frustrated commuters: The conductors cannot help you. Under environmental regulations mandated by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, train temperatures are controlled by an automated climate control system programmed to maintain a baseline of 24 to 27 degrees Celsius in the summer. "Riders often believe train operators can manually crank up the air conditioning on a whim," said Han Ji-hoon, an official at Seo

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