"XX Looks Like a Kkondae, Does Smoking Cause Harm?" Man Smoking on Subway... Arrested in the Act

Photo by YouTube channel 'Kkum-eul Kkuneun Sonyeon' capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] A video showing a man smoking inside a Seoul subway car, continuing despite other passengers' objections and using abusive language, has sparked public outrage.

On the 5th, a video titled "Subway Smoking Villain" was uploaded to the YouTube channel "Dreaming Boy." The man, Mr. A, smoking a cigarette, had his mask hanging on his chin and was holding the cigarette with one hand.

A male passenger nearby raised his voice, saying, "What are you doing on the train right now? How can you smoke?"

Despite this, Mr. A continued trying to smoke, so the man repeatedly pushed Mr. A's hand holding the cigarette downward to stop him. Eventually, the man said, "How can you smoke in a public place right now?" and the cigarette in Mr. A's hand fell to the floor.

When Mr. A tried to take out a new cigarette, the man warned again, "You should go outside to smoke."

Mr. A, who had been silent, replied briefly, "It's my right," and the man responded, "It's not just your right; other people are being harmed."

Mr. A then asked, "Honestly, does inhaling smoke really harm you that much?" and tried to light the cigarette with a lighter.

The man trying to stop him said again, "That's not it. This is a public place," and another male passenger also stepped in to stop Mr. A.

Mr. A cursed at the man who stopped him, saying, "You pretend to be moral, really," and "You’re like an old-fashioned jerk. How old are you?"

As the train reached the next station, Suyu Station, Mr. A was seen moving toward the door, led by those trying to restrain him.

At this time, an announcement was made requesting passengers to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but during the dispute, Mr. A did not wear his mask properly and kept it hanging on his chin.

A Seoul Metro official stated that an assault incident occurred after the train stopped. However, it has not been confirmed whether the man who intervened in the video was involved in the assault.

It was also confirmed that Mr. A attempted to smoke on the platform after getting off the train.

While arguing with another person after disembarking, staff intervened and reported the incident to the police. Mr. A was arrested on the spot as a suspect by the responding police officers.

The Metro stated, "In such situations, fines can be imposed under the Railway Safety Act or the Infectious Disease Prevention Act," and added, "We are currently considering enforcing these measures." According to the Railway Safety Act, smoking inside a train results in a fine of 300,000 KRW for the first offense, 600,000 KRW for the second, and 900,000 KRW for subsequent offenses.

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