A Man in His 50s Tried to Talk to a Woman in Her 20s on a Train... The Court's Verdict

An SRT commuter train is arriving at SRT Suseo Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This image is unrelated to the article and is provided to aid understanding. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

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A man in his 50s who was put on trial for making sexually inappropriate remarks and touching his own body in front of a neighboring passenger on a high-speed train has been found not guilty.

On March 5, according to the legal community, Judge Ji Hyesun of the Criminal Division 5 of the Gwangju District Court acquitted Mr. A (age 55), who had been indicted for violating the Railway Safety Act.

Mr. A was accused of initiating unwanted conversation with Ms. B, a woman in her 20s sitting next to him, and touching parts of his own body for eight minutes in a manner that allegedly caused sexual embarrassment, while riding a high-speed train between Suncheon, Jeonnam and Namwon, Jeonbuk on June 28, 2024.

In court, Mr. A claimed, "I suggested that we watch a Korean traditional music performance together at the final destination, Namwon, but I stopped talking when it seemed that Ms. B was not interested." Regarding the allegation of touching his own body, he argued, "I may have scratched myself unconsciously because I was itchy, but I do not remember it. There would have been no reason to do so for eight minutes in a public place," insisting on his innocence.

The judge explained the acquittal by stating, "In the video evidence submitted by the prosecutor, only part of Mr. A's face and legs are visible, and there is no scene showing him scratching any part of his body. Even the victim's testimony in court does not make the details of the indictment clear. While it may be seen as causing discomfort to the victim, it is difficult to conclude, based solely on the difference in gender and age, that this constitutes an act causing sexual embarrassment or something subject to criminal punishment."

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