Toll booth attendants face harassment

A growing number of female toll booth attendants face sexual harassment, including from middle-age men who expose themselves while paying tolls.

According to data from the Korea Expressway Corporation, the number of harassment cases involving toll booth workers jumped from 12 in 2012 to 22 the following year. So far there have been six such incidents this year.

The harassment includes men who drive up to the booth with no pants on, or those who grab the hands of the workers while tendering their fare.

KEC officials believe that many more female attendants have been targeted, but that the women choose not to report the incidents for fear of reprisal from the drivers.

A KEC survey of female attendants showed that over 58 percent had experienced some form of sexual harassment in the workplace. The victims also responded that the criminals were mostly in their 40s to 50s.

Since 2012, toll booths in Gimpo have seen the most harassment cases with 14. Punggi, Jangyu and Bukbusan booths also have reported three incidents each.

Rep. Lee Noh-geun of the ruling Saenuri Party, who received the data from KEC, said Wednesday that more security cameras were needed to prevent the crimes.