"Part-time Workers Express Anxiety Saying 'I'm Afraid to Ask People to Wear Masks'"

Controversy Continues Over Mask Non-Wearers... Assault Incidents Follow
Some Workers "Fear Mask Requests May Lead to Verbal Abuse and Assault"
Experts "Anger Directed at Weaker Individuals... A Form of Power Abuse"

On the 3rd, at a large franchise cafe located in Jung-gu, Seoul, citizens are sitting face-to-face without masks, having conversations. Photo by Gayun Kim katekim221@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] "Wearing a mask is obvious... but it's not easy to ask someone to wear one."

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, wearing masks in places frequented by many people such as streets, stores, and public transportation has become a new social norm. However, controversies surrounding those who do not wear masks persist, especially as many citizens remove their masks due to the hot weather.

Recently, incidents stemming from mask non-compliance have occurred one after another, including a passenger without a mask assaulting a bus driver who refused to allow boarding. This has caused anxiety among some service workers, including part-time employees at cafes and convenience stores, who fear that customers asked to wear masks might respond with verbal abuse or violence.

On the afternoon of the 18th at around 2:30 PM in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, a man in his 50s who boarded a village bus without a mask punched the bus driver who requested him to wear one. The man reportedly bit the driver's neck and also assaulted other passengers who tried to intervene.

The police arrested the man on the 20th on charges including assaulting a driver under the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. This is the first case of arrest related to assault over mask non-compliance on public transportation since the government mandated mask-wearing for passengers on public transit as part of COVID-19 prevention measures on the 26th of last month.

Earlier, on March 12th, an incident occurred at a hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, where a man caused a disturbance in the emergency room after becoming angry at a nurse's request to wear a mask.

A university student, A (19), was brought to the emergency room intoxicated around 5 AM that day. When a nurse advised him to wear a mask, he cursed, saying things like "Are you treating me like a COVID patient? Damn it," and threatened the nurse, causing a commotion. He was prosecuted and fined 4 million won. The court stated, "The nature and details of the crime are serious. He has not been forgiven by the victims," as the reason for sentencing.

Photo by Yonhap News

As a result, some workers expressed reluctance to ask customers to wear masks. While it is necessary to request mask-wearing when customers or visitors are not wearing them to avoid discomfort to others, there is concern that such requests could escalate into violence.

B (27), a part-time worker at a bakery in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, said, "As a part-time worker, it's not easy to ask customers for anything," adding, "Especially mask-wearing is a sensitive issue, and it can make customers feel like they are being labeled as inconsiderate."

He continued, "Sometimes I try to ask politely, but if the customer's feelings are hurt, the part-time worker has to deal with the aftermath, so I try to avoid it."

Some have argued that a system should be established to penalize those who do not wear masks. Since workers who directly face customers have to make these requests, the lack of related policies means they must bear the consequences alone if any harm occurs.

Photo by Yonhap News

In this regard, a post titled "Please establish a fine system for not wearing masks" was uploaded on the Blue House's public petition board last month.

The petitioner stated, "This problem arose because of careless people who walk around without masks in public places," and urged, "What is needed in the COVID era is a fine system. Like penalties for not wearing seat belts or drunk driving, policies that raise public awareness are necessary."

Experts pointed out that this can be seen as a form of 'displacement aggression,' where people vent their stress on those weaker than themselves.

Professor Kwak Geum-ju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 22nd, "As the COVID-19 situation prolongs, everyone is feeling fatigued. Asking someone to wear a mask is a natural request. The anger is not so much directed at the bus driver or the person making the request, but rather an expression of vague dissatisfaction, uncertainty, anxiety, and anger caused by the current situation."

Professor Kwak added, "People suppress anger depending on conditions such as the presence of authority or social etiquette. When suppressed, stronger anger may be expressed later, often targeting those perceived as weaker or more convenient. This behavior can be seen as a form of power abuse. Such displacement of anger onto weaker individuals is occurring in many places, and as fatigue increases, these behaviors are becoming more pronounced than before."

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