"Please Stop Sneaking a Peek at My Phone" Do You Know the Smartphone 'Heulkit Jok'? [Han Reporter Goes]

Complaints About People Secretly Peeking at Others' Phones
Some Even Openly Stare at KakaoTalk Messages

Citizens wearing masks are riding on a Seoul Subway Line 2 train. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han] "Why on earth are you looking at someone else's phone!"

Criticism is mounting against the so-called smartphone 'glance tribe' who sneak peeks at others' phone screens while using public transportation such as buses or subways.

They not only watch videos others are viewing on their phones but also peek into KakaoTalk conversations. This has raised concerns about privacy invasion.

A woman in her 30s, office worker A, who usually commutes by bus, said, "I often chat with friends on KakaoTalk during my commute, but I felt someone's gaze from somewhere. When I looked up, an older man was secretly peeking at my phone," adding, "It gave me chills at the time. I just turned off the screen."

Another office worker in his 30s, B, said, "There are definitely people who look into others' phones," expressing frustration, "This is a matter of manners. Why on earth do they look at other people's KakaoTalk messages? It's absurd."

Summarizing their complaints, such situations mainly occur during public transportation use.

A man in his 40s, office worker C, who admitted to having glanced at others' phones a few times, said, "I didn't intentionally try to sneak a look, but since it was right in front of me, my gaze went there unconsciously." He added, "However, those who blatantly stare are problematic. Isn't it a kind of voyeurism?"

Citizens wearing masks are boarding a Seoul Subway Line 2 train.

Given these circumstances, posts condemning such behavior are easily found on online communities.

One netizen said, "I was happily chatting with a friend on KakaoTalk after work, but the man next to me kept looking at the messages," and asked, "Where can I report this?" expressing anger.

Another netizen complained, "I don't understand why people look at others' KakaoTalk messages like that," adding, "He only stopped when I flipped the phone screen."

Meanwhile, a netizen presumed to be a woman in her 20s said, "I was taking subway line 1 to meet a friend in Jongno, and an elderly man was staring at what I was doing on my smartphone," adding, "I felt uncomfortable and switched to another subway line."

Because many people secretly peek at phone screens, some attach privacy protection films to their phone displays.

Office worker D, in her 20s, who said she applied a 'privacy film' to her smartphone screen, explained, "I feel more at ease after attaching the film," and added, "I'm also sharing this method with friends and acquaintances."

Secretly looking at someone else's phone can potentially violate current laws. Article 17 of the Constitution states, "All citizens shall not have their privacy and freedom infringed."

The right to privacy means freedom from external interference, so checking the contents of someone else's phone without permission can constitute a privacy violation. Freedom of communication is also a private matter between individuals and is protected as part of privacy. If infringement occurs without the consent of the parties involved, it may violate the law.

However, the likelihood of police reports or punishment resulting solely from secretly looking at someone else's phone content is low. It is difficult to prove that someone looked at your smartphone screen.

Kim, a college student in his mid-20s, said, "If the other person just denies it, that's the end of it," adding, "Some people argue about it, but even during those disputes, they respond arrogantly, saying 'When did I look?' The fastest way to solve the problem is just to turn off the phone screen."