"‘What if not COVID-19?’ Rampage on Subway... Refusal to Wear Masks and Violence, Is This Okay?"

840 Reports of No Mask on Public Transport
Police to Strictly Respond to Disruptions
Experts: "Individuals Must Avoid Harming Others"

On the previous day (23rd), a woman in her 40s who boarded the subway without wearing a mask was apprehended by the police after resisting another passenger's request to wear a mask. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] As the government mandated mask-wearing for passengers on all public transportation nationwide?including buses, subways, and taxis?starting from the 26th of last month to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), incidents stemming from failure to wear masks have been occurring one after another.

In particular, violent acts have been increasing as people refuse to wear masks on public transportation, heightening citizens' anxiety. Citizens are venting their frustration, saying, "Those who follow the law end up suffering," as cases where maskless individuals get angry when asked to wear masks are on the rise. Additionally, there are calls for strong sanctions as people are defenselessly exposed not only to the risk of COVID-19 infection but also to verbal abuse and physical assault from others.

The police have warned that they will respond strictly to illegal acts committed by those not wearing masks.

On the previous day (the 23rd), a woman in her 40s was caught by the police after boarding the subway without a mask and reacting violently when another passenger asked her to wear one. The female passenger, A, was arrested on the spot on charges of obstructing business by disrupting the operation of the Line 1 subway train traveling from Incheon to Uijeongbu.

According to media reports, around 11:50 a.m. that day, inside a train near Oryu-dong Station on Line 1, A was asked by another passenger to wear a mask but responded with profanity and caused a disturbance, questioning why she was being confronted.

During this incident, A shouted threats such as, "If it's not COVID at the hospital, will you take responsibility?" and "I don't understand why I have to wear a mask when I haven't caught COVID," intimidating the passenger who requested mask-wearing. Ultimately, this behavior delayed the train for about seven minutes, and A was apprehended by police who responded to the report. The police have requested an arrest warrant for A.

Conflicts have also occurred between some passengers and drivers who refuse to comply with mask-wearing requests. The police reported that from the 26th of last month to the 21st of this month, they received 840 reports of disputes between passengers and drivers over refusal to wear masks on public transportation.

The police announced that they received 840 reports of disputes between passengers and drivers refusing to wear masks on public transportation from the 26th of last month to the 21st of this month.
Photo by Yonhap News

Among these, 43 cases are under investigation for assault and obstruction of business charges (including one arrest). Notably, many of the cases involved customers not wearing masks assaulting drivers.

As a result, citizens are expressing anger, saying, "I get furious because people who don't wear masks act brazenly." Since public transportation like buses and taxis are confined spaces, there is concern about infection transmission through droplets.

Citizen A (27) said, "I recently saw someone board a bus without wearing a mask," adding, "Even when the driver told them not to get on, they stubbornly boarded. They cursed nonstop after getting on. The atmosphere was tense, and many passengers felt uneasy."

A raised their voice, saying, "At that time, I thought people who don't wear masks and verbally or physically assault others should at least undergo a psychological evaluation."

The police plan to actively investigate cases of disturbance that interfere with public transportation operations, even if the driver is not physically assaulted or threatened, under charges such as obstruction of business.

Additionally, they plan to hold meetings with transportation companies to promote response policies and guidelines for reporting to 112 emergency services.

Experts suggest that each individual using public transportation needs to make efforts to avoid causing harm to others at a minimum. Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University analyzed the current situation, saying, "As the COVID-19 crisis prolongs, national fatigue related to it is accumulating," and "Recently, worsening personal economic conditions and dissatisfaction have caused suppressed emotions to explode all at once."

She added, "While we must uphold what needs to be observed during difficult times, this spirit has become lax," advising, "At the very least, individuals need to make efforts not to harm others."

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