Seoul Metro protects employees with 'ID recorder'... actively responds to assault and verbal abuse incidents

957 Voice Recorders Distributed to All Station Staff and Subway Security Guards by July
Easy Recording with Just a Button Press... Facilitates Evidence Collection in Emergencies

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul Metro Corporation will provide ID badge voice recorders to employees to actively respond to assault and verbal abuse incidents. Including the previously distributed recorders, a total of 957 ID badge voice recorders will be provided, allowing each station staff member and subway security officer at all operating stations to use one.

According to the corporation on the 21st, the number of officially reported cases of assault and verbal abuse against employees has exceeded 100 for two consecutive years. With 89 cases recorded in the first half of this year, it is expected that this year will also surpass the usual levels. Most of the employees affected by assault and verbal abuse are station staff (66.73%) and security officers (28.04%) who directly interact with customers.

Assault and verbal abuse against employees mostly occur during work duties such as requesting mask-wearing inside stations, controlling disorderly conduct like disturbances, or guiding passengers to other transportation after train operations have ended. There are also ‘dangerous’ cases involving individuals wielding weapons or causing property damage.

Especially since the social distancing measures were lifted on April 18, there has been a sharp increase in verbal abuse and assault. The corporation’s own emotional labor protection activities averaged 0.83 cases per day from January 1 to April 17, before the lifting of social distancing, but this increased to an average of 1.44 cases per day from April 18 to June 30, nearly doubling.

The corporation provided 50 body cameras in September last year and 226 ID badge voice recorders in February this year to major congested stations such as terminal and transfer stations, as well as security officer organizations, to protect employees from assault and verbal abuse and to easily collect evidence. To strengthen company-wide response, the corporation purchased an additional 731 recorders and began expanded distribution from the 18th of this month.

The corporation expects that the expanded distribution of ID badge voice recorders will significantly help reduce assault and verbal abuse against employees, not only by serving as a preventive warning but also by facilitating easy evidence collection for legal action afterward. Although evidence is necessary for legal measures when employees face verbal abuse or assault, it has been difficult to secure such evidence in urgent situations, making response challenging.

Jo Gyu-ju, Director of the Sales Planning Department, said, “Assault and verbal abuse against corporation employees responsible for subway safety and service pose a great threat to other citizens as well, so we ask for restraint,” adding, “We will take legal action with a zero-tolerance policy against incidents that go beyond acceptable limits.”

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