Violence on public transport surging over face masks

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sat, December 9, 2023 | 08:51

Law & Crime

Violence on public transport surging over face masks

Posted : 2020-08-26 16:26

Updated : 2020-08-26 20:44

People wear face masks at a bus stop on Aug. 18 in Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Lim Hyun-jeong

By Lee Hyo-jin

Incidents of violence over face-covering rules on buses and subways have been increasing in recent weeks amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, according to police data Wednesday. It is feared more cases could occur in the coming weeks as face masks are especially uncomfortable to wear during the summer heat.

A man in his 70s has been arrested for threatening to kill another passenger who told him to wear his face mask properly on a Line 2 subway train passing Wangsimni Station in eastern Seoul, Aug. 21, around 5:45 p.m. The accused was reportedly wearing the mask on his chin, leaving his mouth and nose uncovered.

On Aug. 14, a man in his 60s was caught for assaulting a bus driver who requested he wear a mask. He hit the victim in the head multiple times and insulted other passengers on the bus, according to Dongdaemun Police Station. He was also accused of attacking the police officer called to the site by biting his hand.

A total of 349 people have been arrested for face mask-related conflicts over the last three months since May 26 when the government applied a "No mask, no ride" policy on all public transportation, according to the Korean National Police Agency. Among them, 164 people were held for assault.

"The prolonged pandemic crisis has aggravated people's stress and anxiety. It seems that some people express anger through aggressive behavior towards random people," Kwak Geum-joo, a psychology professor at Seoul National University, told The Korea Times.

Kwak suggested that tightened face mask rules can be difficult to follow especially for elderly men in their 60s and older, which is why they are often involved in assault cases.

"Older people find it relatively hard to follow rapidly changing rules or adapt to a new situation. Also, they get easily upset when other people, especially the younger generation, point out their mistakes," she explained.

Civil complaints against subway riders breaking the mask rule have also surged, according to Seoul Metro. Passengers can instantly make a report through the Tto Ta Jihacheol app when they spot people on the subway without face masks.

The number of total complaints since May has reached 35,159 as of Aug. 16. Reports filed per day have nearly doubled in August to 660 cases from 355 in July.

Mask-related reports and conflicts in the capital area may increase further as the Seoul Metropolitan Government has once again tightened the mask-wearing requirement on Monday. Under the new measures, people must cover their faces not only indoors, but also in crowded outdoor areas.

lhj@koreatimes.co.kr