Crew Member Causing Shame to Disabled Passenger by Saying "You Pooped"... Controversy Over Korail's Response

Demand to remove passenger for "pooping accident"
Disabled passenger files complaint with Human Rights Commission
KORAIL: "Action based on policy... crew excluded from duties"

Photo unrelated to the article. [Photo source=Pixabay]

A passenger with a disability filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission after feeling humiliated by the behavior of train staff.

According to a YTN report on the 27th, Mr. A, who is visually impaired, and his girlfriend Ms. B, who has an intellectual disability, went on a family trip with Ms. B’s parents on the 22nd. They boarded a train bound for Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, from Yongsan Station in Seoul around 6 a.m. At that time, Ms. B, who was not feeling well, accidentally soiled her diaper. Following the guidance of the train staff, they got off the train, received new tickets, and boarded the next train.

The problem arose when another staff member, noticing Ms. B’s mistake and her embarrassment, demanded that she get off the train, saying, “You pooped.” Ms. B claimed she felt humiliated, saying, “I was honestly embarrassed too, but they said it openly in front of many people.” Mr. A, who was with her, also stated, “The staff didn’t say something like ‘there’s been a leak,’ but literally said ‘you pooped.’ When a passenger makes a mistake, shouldn’t the staff cover for them first and then quietly discuss it among themselves later?”

Ultimately, they filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission based on this incident and also submitted a grievance to Korail regarding the staff’s attitude. Korail responded by saying, “Requesting the passenger to disembark and guiding them to the next train was in accordance with protocol, considering the discomfort it could cause other passengers,” and added, “There are conflicting claims regarding the initial reaction of the staff member.” They further stated, “Nevertheless, we judged that the passenger experienced discomfort,” and “Considering the nature of service work, the fact that the customer felt humiliated was deemed critical, so the staff member was removed from duty.” Additionally, Korail said, “We visited Ms. B’s party to offer a sincere apology,” and “We will strive to prevent such issues from recurring.”

Ms. B requested Korail to strengthen education aimed at improving staff awareness of disabilities. The Human Rights Commission also plans to promptly assign an investigator to verify the facts after reviewing the complaint they received.

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