"Just Asked to Wear a Mask" Part-Time Worker Cries Over 'No Mask' Customer

Customers Still Not Wearing Masks at Convenience Stores
'No Mask' Customers Express Anxiety Over COVID-19 Infection

A notice encouraging mask-wearing is posted at a cafe in Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Kim Mo (23), a part-time worker at a convenience store in Mapo-gu, Seoul, recently feels great anxiety that she might contract COVID-19 due to customers not properly wearing masks. Kim said, "Many customers either don’t wear masks at all because it’s just in front of their house or come with a 'teokseukeu' (mask worn under the chin) while drunk," adding, "Even when I ask them to wear masks, they don’t listen at all." She continued, "Because of these customers, other customers sometimes enter the convenience store and then just leave."

Despite mask-wearing being mandatory, there are still customers who visit convenience stores or cafes without masks or wearing 'teokseukeu' (mask hanging on the chin), raising concerns about the spread of infection.

In particular, some 'no-mask' customers ignore warnings from business owners requesting mask-wearing, sometimes verbally abusing them or even committing assault, becoming a social problem. Experts analyze this as clear abuse of power related to COVID-19 fatigue.

Recently, posts complaining about difficulties caused by customers not wearing masks have been continuously posted in online communities where part-time workers gather. One netizen who revealed they work part-time at a convenience store said, "I’m so annoyed by people who come without masks. What is it to not wear a mask in this situation?" and added, "People who wear 'teokseukeu' just because the convenience store is near their home are the norm. I want to ban such people from entering altogether."

The situation is similar for cafe part-timers. Kim Mo (23), a university student working at a cafe in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, said, "Some customers wear masks properly outside but lower them when ordering drinks. I just can’t understand it," adding, "It has gotten better since we only do takeout now, but there are still customers who come without masks sometimes."

She added, "I want to ask them to wear masks, but since I work alone, I’m scared and can’t say anything. Also, since they’re just taking drinks out anyway, I hesitate to say anything because I feel it might cause unnecessary fights."

Posts expressing frustrations due to customers not wearing masks are being shared mainly on online communities. Photo by Naver screen capture.

Despite the considerable number of customers not wearing masks, some part-time workers are unable to actively demand compliance with quarantine guidelines such as mask-wearing. This is because they might face retaliatory verbal abuse or assault if they ask customers to wear masks.

Recently, there was an incident where a convenience store owner got into a dispute or was threatened after asking a customer to wear a mask.

On the 11th, at a convenience store in Gyeonggi-do, a male customer A, who was wearing a 'teokseukeu,' caused a disturbance by swinging his fist at the store owner who asked him to wear a mask. At the time, A reportedly verbally abused the owner, saying, "Who the hell are you to rudely tell an adult to wear or not wear a mask?"

Meanwhile, on the 20th of last month, a public official from Dangjin-si, Chungnam, caused controversy by shouting at a coffee shop owner who asked him to properly wear a mask.

As a result, concerns about the spread of COVID-19 due to customers not following quarantine guidelines are growing. Lee Mo (28), who works part-time at a cafe in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, said, "Our cafe is a small takeout-only shop. There are no seats inside, so most customers wait outside, and many smoke while waiting for their coffee," adding, "They take their coffee without putting their masks back on after smoking."

She continued, "I already have to deal with a lot of people, and it’s scary that some customers don’t properly wear masks during this situation," expressing, "I’m anxious but don’t know what to do."

Experts point out that some customers are engaging in a kind of 'gapjil'?abuse of power?by venting their stress on part-time workers.

Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "People suppress anger depending on conditions such as when dealing with someone in power or in situations requiring politeness. However, when suppressed, stronger anger tends to be expressed later, especially when the target is weaker than oneself. This behavior can be seen as a form of gapjil," adding, "Recently, there have been many cases of taking out frustrations on weaker individuals, and since COVID-19 fatigue has increased more than before, these incidents seem to be occurring."

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