Pyeoda Puts Free Umbrella Rental Stations in Every Daegu Subway Station

Climate-infrastructure startup Pyeoda has installed unmanned rental stations for umbrellas and parasols at all 94 stations on Daegu's subway Lines 1, 2 and 3. The company has deployed 124 stations in total and has 20,243 registered users. Even with no staff on site, 92.4% of the umbrellas and parasols that were borrowed have come back.

Using the service is simple. Riders scan a station's QR code in the app to take an umbrella or parasol, then return it to any nearby station. Rental is free for up to 24 hours, and an item that is not returned on time is automatically charged as a purchase. Pyeoda says this mechanism keeps return rates high without managers.

Cooling material developed with KAIST

The parasols use a radiative-cooling material developed jointly with KAIST, which reflects sunlight and releases heat outward. According to the company, it lowers surface and perceived temperatures by 5 to 8°C. Because the items serve as umbrellas in rain and parasols in heatwaves, the service can run all year.

The Daegu project began in 2025 as a pilot with the Daegu Transportation Corporation. After an open competitive bid in 2026, Pyeoda was chosen as operator for every Daegu subway station through 2030, a five-year contract. About 1,249 people use the service each month on average, and in August 2025 it ranked first in the public category of the city's resident-proposal program.

Expansion to other cities

In Seoul's Nowon District, eight stations at the district office and community centers served roughly 3,000 users. In Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, a staffed-free booth and six stations at the Hwanggeum Coast trail entrance were used by about 4,000 people over around three months. Ansan has hosted the service since 2023, with about 2,000 users a year. Nowon and Hwaseong are discussing reinstallation next year, and talks are under way with other metropolitan subway operators, outlets, Seoul's Gangnam District and apartment complexes.

Pyeoda handles installation, restocking, collection, cleaning and repairs, so client agencies need no operating staff. Stations run on its in-house control system, Pyeoda OS. The company says rental data combined with weather information can inform policy, such as identifying heat-vulnerable areas. Cumulative revenue is about 30 billion won. CEO Kim Hyung-seok said the company will extend the model proven in Daegu to local governments and transit hubs nationwide.