"No Matter How Hot It Is, This Crosses the Line": Outrage as Woman Bathes and Scrubs Herself in Broad Daylight at Cheonggyecheon, Stirring 'Most Notorious Villain' Scandal

Caught With Bathing Items, Seen Scrubbing as if Bathing

Even before the controversy over the so-called "lucky coin sweep" had subsided, a middle-aged woman was spotted in broad daylight at Cheonggyecheon in Seoul, appearing to bathe in the stream.

Screenshot of online community.

On July 25, a video titled "The Most Notorious Villain Ever Seen at Cheonggyecheon" was widely shared across various social networking services (SNS) and online communities. In the footage, a woman in a dress is seen sitting on the stone promenade beside Cheonggyecheon, taking out bath items such as soap and a washbowl before pouring water over herself and seemingly scrubbing her body.

The scene was reportedly filmed by a passerby who witnessed the incident. It is said that despite the presence of numerous citizens in broad daylight, the woman continued her actions without any regard for those around her.

Online Community Capture

Viewers of the video reacted by saying, "It's embarrassing, especially since many foreigners visit here," "It's hard to understand this behavior," "Does she think she's on a trip to a valley?" "This is not something one should do in an urban stream," "I have no idea why she's doing that," and "I thought this was an AI-generated video." Some suggested that the heatwave might have been the cause, noting, "She must have been extremely hot to do that."

Images of middle-aged men and women picking up 'lucky coins' that citizens and tourists threw while making wishes at Cheonggyecheon have sparked controversy. Screenshot from the YouTube channel 'SeoulSamchonTV'

Previously at Cheonggyecheon, controversy arose after images showed middle-aged men and women unlawfully collecting "lucky coins" that had been thrown into Palseokdam—dubbed "Seoul's Trevi Fountain"—by citizens and tourists making wishes. According to information posted at Palseokdam, the lucky coins collected are used to support educational initiatives for children in Korea and around the world via organizations such as the Seoul Scholarship Foundation and the Korean Committee for UNICEF, which caused widespread indignation when the unauthorized collection was revealed.

According to Seoul City, from 2005 to May last year, KRW 448.08 million in coins has been collected from Palseokdam. Additionally, 390,995 foreign coins have been gathered. The city collects and sorts these coins daily: domestic coins are used as scholarships through the Seoul Scholarship Foundation, and foreign coins are donated through the Korean Committee for UNICEF.

Because the coins in Palseokdam are continuously managed and collected by Seoul City and used for public donations, taking them without permission may constitute theft. Similarly, at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, it is reported that those who secretly collect coins thrown by tourists are subject to prosecution for theft.

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