Foreign Tourists Caught Fare Evasion in Subway Argue "We Paid" and Spark Controversy by Posting Korean Station Staff's Face on SNS

Three Attempt Subway Entry Using Two Transportation Cards
After Being Caught, Station Staff's Face Exposed on Social Media

There is growing controversy after a group of foreign tourists caught attempting to pass through subway ticket gates in Seoul with only two transportation cards for three people publicly posted the station staff's face on social networking services (SNS) during the enforcement process.

On September 15, JTBC reported on a dispute that occurred between foreigners and a station attendant at Myeong-dong Station on Seoul Subway Line 4 at around 12:30 p.m. on September 7.

At the time, among the three foreign male and female group members, two women each tapped their transportation cards and entered through the fare gate. Afterwards, one of the women handed her card to the man outside, but since the card had already been processed for boarding, the man was unable to pass through the fare gate. JTBC Incident Commander

Among the group of three foreign men and women, two women each tapped their transportation cards and entered through the ticket gate. Afterwards, one of the women handed her card to the man standing outside, but since the card had already been processed for boarding, the man could not pass through the ticket gate. The woman then tapped her card again, exited the gate, and used the card to let the man inside. The man subsequently used the card to tag out and then handed it back to the woman, who tagged in once more to enter through the gate. This entire process was captured on the station’s closed-circuit television (CCTV).

After confirming this on CCTV, the station staff member went down to the platform and explained to the group that it was considered fare evasion. He also informed them about the procedure for paying additional fare. It is reported that he presented an English notice on fare evasion and the passenger transportation terms and conditions. However, the foreigners protested, claiming that since they had tapped the card twice, they had paid the fare twice. When the staff explained that tagging twice does not mean fares for two people are charged, the group insisted they had not even boarded the subway yet and said they wanted to leave, requesting a refund.

The controversy escalated after the enforcement. According to the station staff, the tourists filmed him during the process, and on the same evening, an influencer with about 220,000 followers posted a video on SNS showing the staff’s face without any mosaicking. The video reportedly included English subtitles claiming that the staff demanded additional charges without justification and used abusive language toward them. As the video spread among overseas users and on domestic social media, the station staff reportedly suffered significant emotional distress.

At that time, among the three foreign men and women, two women each tapped their transportation cards and entered through the turnstile. Afterward, one of the women handed her card to the man who was outside, but since the card had already been processed for boarding, the man could not pass through the turnstile. Photo by JTBC Incident Captain

The Proper Labor Union of Seoul Metro stated that they sent messages to the influencer requesting deletion of the video, but they were blocked. After legal review, they filed a police complaint against the influencer for defamation, insult, and obstruction of work. However, whether these charges are actually applicable will be determined through the police investigation.

As the controversy grew, the foreigners released an additional video, explaining that they mistakenly thought, as with buses, one transportation card could be used by several people on the subway. However, they maintained their previous claim that the staff member had used abusive language first and snatched the money from them. The station staff denied these allegations, stating that they only explained fare evasion in English and did not use any abusive language. They also refuted the claims that they threw the notice or forcibly took the money. It is currently reported that the influencer has already left the country.

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