South Korean media reports: Will subways require mobile batteries to be placed in Ziploc bags?

The Seoul Metropolitan Transportation Corporation, which operates Seoul Subway Lines 1 to 8, is considering measures to prevent lithium battery fires in subway stations and on trains, including restricting the import of batteries.
Experts are calling for the need for countermeasures, but they also agree that advance preparation is necessary to improve effectiveness. The Seoul Metropolitan Transportation Corporation has begun revising its passenger transport regulations.
The main content of the amendment is to add all means of transportation powered by lithium batteries and large-capacity lithium batteries exceeding 160 watt-hours to Article 34 (prohibited items).
The government will also strengthen regulations on carrying small and medium-sized lithium batteries, such as mobile batteries. In particular, the standards for carrying mobile batteries for cell phones on airplanes will be applied to subways as well.
It has been confirmed that the government is considering revising its regulations in this direction. However, transportation for disabled people will be excluded from the ban. Such strict regulations are necessary in light of the repeated fires both inside and outside trains.
In September, a fire broke out in the battery of an electric bicycle carried by a passenger at Hapjeong Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, forcing about 100 residents to take shelter.
In March and August, there were incidents where smoke came out of the auxiliary battery, forcing passengers to evacuate. In August last year, there was an incident in Busan where smoke came out of an electric scooter brought by a passenger.
Following the frequent occurrence of battery fires in subway stations this year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in September instructed railway operators to install auxiliary batteries, including those for personal mobility devices, in case of fires on trains.
In an official document, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said, "When a battery fire occurs on a train, it is difficult to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher in the early stages, which can cause great damage to human life and property."
"We hope that measures will be taken to minimize the number of batteries brought in through an analysis of the risk, such as amending passenger transport regulations and providing guidance to railway passengers," he said.
From now on, the corporation will ask the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to decide whether batteries are included in the dangerous goods in the passenger transportation regulations, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will decide that "lithium batteries are classified as dangerous goods and are not allowed to be carried on trains.
The purpose of amending the regulations is clearly to prevent fire damage, but there are still many issues that need to be resolved.
Folding electric scooters and large-capacity lithium batteries are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, and considering the characteristics of the Seoul subway, which currently has 276 stations and is used by an average of 6.6 million people per day,
However, introducing a large-scale baggage inspection system like that of airports would require a lot of money. It would also be difficult to apply the same standards for carrying small and medium-sized batteries as those for airplanes.
In March, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism tightened procedures for carrying lithium Eon auxiliary batteries on board aircraft, requiring that batteries stored in plastic bags or pouches with a capacity of 160 watt-hours or less be carried on board.
The new system limits passengers to carrying small and medium-sized auxiliary batteries, either worn by them or placed in a pocket in front of their seats. However, after its announcement, this system sparked controversy over its environmental impact and effectiveness.
In April, then-Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo announced in the National Assembly that the relevant regulations would be reexamined, saying, "We will seek opinions from a wide range of experts and aviation industry workers regarding their effectiveness."
A Seoul Metropolitan Transportation Corporation official also said, "If (large-capacity lithium batteries) are carried in a bag or similar, it is practically impossible to restrict their transport," and added, "We are looking into the issue of passengers using the subway."
"We need to publicize the dangers of batteries to customers. We plan to continue publicizing this to raise public safety awareness," he explained. Furthermore, regarding who is responsible in the event of a fire, "we will revise the terms and conditions."
"We will consider adding responsibility items on the hour," he added. Experts have suggested that public awareness needs to be raised in order for the new measures to be effective.
Professor Ham Seung-hee of the Department of Disaster Prevention Engineering at the University of Seoul said, "160 watt-hours is a much larger capacity than a typical auxiliary battery,
"It's not easy to measure the capacity of laptops and batteries when you're carrying them around," he said, adding, "If a fire breaks out on a train, it's expected to cause major damage, so
"These measures are necessary to ensure safety," he said, adding, "Above all, it is important to publicize and campaign to ensure that citizens follow the guidelines."
Kim Soo-Yeon, head of the fire analysis team at the National Fire Research Institute, said, "It is virtually impossible to check (the possession of batteries) every time a fire occurs.
"We need to further strengthen education for citizens and employees on how to respond in the event of an emergency," he said.