By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Women-only subway cars will be reintroduced from 2008 to prevent possible sexual harassment of female passengers.
Seoul Metro and Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation said all subway lines ranging from one to eight will have the system.
The two companies first introduced the women-only cars in 1992, but soon suspended the system after experiencing operational problems. Men tried to use them, saying it was another form of sexual discrimination, and women were reluctant to go to that section because many people looked at them.
Spokesmen for the companies said two sections per subway train, the first and last carriages, will be designated as women only.
They said women's civic groups and others had asked for separate spaces because men groping them in the subways was scaring women off the metro.
Rep. Lee Jae-chang of the Grand National Party said half of reported crimes committed on subways were related to sexual offense and most of the victims were women. He asked for the Seoul city government to find ways to protect women using the transport system.
Women welcomed the project saying the section could be used in various ways _ for breastfeeding or changing diapers if necessary.
However, there is still some skepticism mounting over the installation. According to an ongoing online poll at naver.com, 58 percent of 60 respondents said the new plan would be ineffective.
``I think this is another type of discrimination toward men. Not all men do that, but the plan makes all men a potential pervert,'' netizen (ID Icaru 5) said. ``It will be effective to educate men not to misbehave toward women rather than just drive them apart,'' Kim Sang-hoon, a subway user said.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
