Despite Passenger Complaints, Woman Wipes Runny Nose on Seat 'Sseuk Sseuk'... Subway Nuisance Woman Controversy

A Woman Sitting Cross-Legged with Shoes Off on a Seat
Ignores Passenger's Criticism and Smoothly Moves Again

A woman is being criticized for sitting cross-legged on the subway, blowing her nose with her hand, and then wiping the mucus on the subway seat.

A woman wiping her nose with her hand and then cleaning the subway seat.
[Photo by Online Community]

On the 13th, a post titled "Subway Mucus Woman" was uploaded to an online community, sparking controversy. The author, Mr. A, began by saying, "I've never seen a post like this before, but it's so disgusting I can't stand it." In the photo Mr. A shared, a woman sitting cross-legged on the subway is seen looking at her cellphone. The underside of the seat next to her is heavily stained with a substance presumed to be mucus.

Mr. A reported that he witnessed the woman on the Gyeongchun Line heading toward Chuncheon. Upon boarding the subway, the woman placed her belongings on the seat, took off her shoes, and sat cross-legged. Around the time the train passed Pyeongnae-Hopyeong Station, she suddenly blew her nose with her hand and wiped her mucus-covered hand on the seat several times.

Mr. A, who witnessed the scene, tried to stop her by saying, "If you wipe it there, won't the mucus get on other people?" However, the woman took out her earphones, nodded, and then without further reaction, shifted her gaze back to the cellphone in her hand. Mr. A concluded his post by saying, "Be careful on the subway heading toward Chuncheon. I hope many people know about this. It's really disgusting."

Netizens who saw the post responded with comments such as, "I don't know how someone could live to behave like that," "No sane person would take off their shoes and sit like that in the first place," "What about people who unknowingly sit on that seat?" and "What kind of world do you have to live in to act like that?"

Meanwhile, from 2020 to June 2023, there have been a total of 108 incidents on Seoul Subway Lines 1 through 8 involving passenger-related train operation disruptions, facility damage, elevator malfunctions, and other obstacles. In response, Seoul Metro has established a zero-tolerance policy toward actions that disrupt safe subway operations or intentionally damage facilities, taking strong legal measures such as criminal complaints and fines. Furthermore, if damage to subway facilities occurs due to clear negligence, Seoul Metro stated it will actively pursue civil actions, including claims for damages, in addition to criminal complaints.

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