[Edaily Reporter LEE JUNGHYUN ] It has been revealed that rent for food and beverage outlets inside train and subway stations—which serve as a source of sustenance for commuters—has risen 2.7-fold over the past four years. The story behind a snack shop on the platform at Gasan Digital Complex Station—where regular customers expressed their regret by writing messages of encouragement on Post-it notes after the shop was forced to close despite selling kimbap and udon at affordable prices—is also rooted in the steep surge in rent. Critics point out that the burden of rising rents not only threatens the livelihoods of small business owners but could also drive up food prices within train stations, making a thorough review necessary.

According to data titled “Status of Rent and Sales Commissions by Food and Beverage Outlets, 2021–2026,” submitted by the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) to the office of Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party—a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee—on the 16th, the total rent for major food and beverage outlets at railway stations nationwide surged by 166.3%, from approximately 6.3 billion won in 2021 to 16.7 billion won in 2025. While the number of outlets remained largely unchanged—from 182 to 180—this increase resulted from a sharp rise in the average rent per outlet, which jumped from 34.46 million won to 92.78 million won.

Even when comparing only the 75 stores for which rent figures were available in both 2022 and 2025—taking into account the base effect of the COVID-19 pandemic—the total rent increased by 78.4%, from 4.17 billion won to 7.45 billion won. Among these, rent more than doubled at 23 locations.

The number of stores with annual rent of 100 million won or more more than tripled, rising from 15 in 2021 to 56 in 2025, while the number of stores with rent of 200 million won or more also increased significantly, from 1 to 19.

Compared to convenience food outlets selling items like coffee and kimbap, restaurants serving full meals—such as bibimbap and tonkatsu—faced a heavier rent burden. As of last year, the category with the highest average rent per store was “bibimbap” (10 locations), at 127.72 million won. This was followed by “tonkatsu” (17 locations), with an average of 110.48 million won. Rent for coffee shops was 94.08 million won, while that for gimbap shops was 83.77 million won.

Looking at major KTX stations, Busan Station had the highest total rent at 2.59698 billion won. While it was approximately 547 million won in 2021, it increased by 374.7% over the course of four years. Rents for commercial facilities at major stations—including Cheonan-Asan Station (263.5%), Gwangju Songjeong Station (190.7%), and Gwangmyeong Station (182.0%)—also jumped by about two to three times.

In terms of individual stores, the most expensive rental rate in 2025 was also at a coffee shop on the second floor of Busan Station (790.63 million won). This was followed by a food and beverage outlet on the second floor of Osong Station (649.23 million won) and a snack bar at Yongsan Station (485.83 million won).

Rep. Kim Mi-ae expressed concern that the steep rise in rental rates within train stations could directly increase the burden on consumers. She pointed out, “Food and beverage outlets in train stations are spaces where passengers have limited alternatives,” adding, “Given the sharp increase in rental rates, Korail and Korail Distribution must transparently disclose their rental rate calculation methods and sales commission distribution structures.”