"Asked to Wear a Mask" Then Grabbed by the Collar... 'NO Mask Jok' Escalates to Assault

Series of Assault Incidents Over Ride Refusals
Passenger Fights Also Occur
Cheong National Petition "Let's Fine Those Not Wearing Masks"

On the morning of the 26th of last month, the first day of mandatory mask-wearing on public transportation, citizens wearing masks are using buses at the Seoul Station Transfer Center.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "You must wear a mask to ride." "Are you refusing to let me board?"

As mask-wearing has become mandatory when using public transportation, incidents of passengers without masks assaulting bus and taxi drivers who refuse their boarding have been occurring repeatedly, causing concern.

In particular, even when drivers notify passengers of boarding refusal, there is practically no way to enforce this if passengers do not comply, leading to ongoing conflicts between drivers and passengers.

Experts point to a 'complacent awareness' as one of the reasons some citizens do not wear masks.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters has restricted the use of public transportation by passengers not wearing masks since the 26th of last month to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

However, since this is not a mandatory regulation, passengers without masks can refuse and still use public transportation. As a result, disputes between drivers demanding passengers to get off and the passengers continue to occur.

Authorities and local governments only recommend and encourage mask-wearing but do not impose administrative penalties such as fines on passengers who do not wear masks.

On the 28th of last month, Mr. A (62) assaulted the neck of city bus driver Mr. B (48) with his hand after being refused boarding at a bus stop in Bongmyeong-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju City. Mr. A reportedly had a mask but was not wearing it at the time of boarding.

In Busan, there was also an incident where a passenger without a mask assaulted a station staff member. On the 29th of last month, Mr. C (39) pushed and assaulted a station staff member who was trying to prevent him from boarding at Beomnaegol Station on Busan Metro Line 1. He passed through the ticket gate without wearing a mask, and when the staff member tried to stop him from boarding, he used abusive language and violence.

Conflicts among passengers also frequently occur. On the 2nd, a story was posted on an online community about a passenger who fought with a woman not wearing a mask on a bus.

The poster, who said they live in Seoul, took a bus from Yeongdeungpo to Anyang with their group. During the ride, a woman boarded the bus with her mask hanging on her chin. When the driver asked her to wear the mask properly, the woman ignored the request, saying things like "Are you talking to me?" and "Why are you like this?"

The poster protested to the woman, but she became angry and said she would report them. When the police arrived, the woman reportedly said, "I think (the poster's group) is going to kill me."

On the morning of the 26th, the first day of mandatory mask-wearing on public transportation, citizens are wearing masks while using buses at the Seoul Station Transfer Center. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As conflicts occur frequently, voices are rising to impose fines on those not wearing masks.

Last month, a petition titled "Please establish a fine system for not wearing masks" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.

The petitioner said, "Now that the COVID-19 era is at risk of prolonging, the most urgent matter is a strict fine policy for not wearing masks," and added, "This disaster happened because of complacent people who walk around in public places without masks."

They continued, "What is needed in the COVID-19 era is a fine system," and said, "Like penalties for not wearing seat belts or drunk driving, a policy that raises new awareness among people is necessary." The petition gained over 2,200 supporters by 10 a.m. on the 8th.

Experts analyzed that complacent awareness among some citizens leads to mask non-compliance.

Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "There are various reasons for not wearing masks. Some people may not realize they need to wear masks due to personal circumstances, or the hot weather affects them," and added, "Also, if one or two people do not wear masks on public transportation, others may think 'I don't have to wear one either,' and since the number of infections has decreased compared to the initial stage, some people do not wear masks out of complacency."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.