Increased Discomfort Due to People Sitting with Legs Spread
'Jjeokbeolnam' Term Added to Dictionary
Survey on Public Transit Commute Reveals 'Jjeokbeoljok' as a Notorious Annoying Passenger Type
An example of the so-called 'jjeokbeolnam' photographed on Busan Metro Line 1. Due to the two men sitting with their legs spread apart on the left and center, there is no space to sit, and the woman on the right is sitting uncomfortably. Photo by Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] "Could you please sit with your legs closed?"
Voices expressing discomfort due to people sitting with their legs spread wide on the subway are growing louder. Especially with the recent heatwave and rainy season increasing discomfort levels, conflicts surrounding this issue are expected to intensify.
According to a 2019 survey titled 'Public Transportation Commute Annoyances' conducted by the job portal Career targeting 513 office workers, the so-called 'jjokbeoljok' (people who sit with legs widely spread) were identified as representative nuisance passengers who inconvenience those sitting next to them.
A man in his 20s, office worker A, who regularly commutes by subway, expressed frustration: "When I encounter passengers who sit with their legs spread wide on a crowded subway during rush hour, I get really annoyed. I don't understand why they need to sit like that in such a packed space. They show no consideration for others at all."
Passengers using the subway pointed out that this 'jjokbeoljok' behavior mostly occurs among male passengers.
Office worker B (27), a frequent subway user, said, "I've been uncomfortable many times because of middle-aged men who sit with their legs spread even while seated. Those people have no consideration for others at all, so even if you give them a hint, they don't get it. When you ask them to close their legs because it's uncomfortable, they often get defensive and angry."
He added, "Although there are no armrests on the seats, the space each person can occupy is divided, right? Naturally, if you spread your legs sideways, you are taking up other people's space, but it seems they don't even think about this basic idea," he criticized.
A man is using the subway with his legs spread wide apart. People around the man are showing uncomfortable expressions. Photo by Busan Metropolitan City Official YouTube Channel Capture
Another office worker C (31) said, "After experiencing so much 'jjokbeol', I now naturally avoid sitting next to male passengers. On hot days when I wear shorts, even having another person's body brush against mine is unpleasant, so it feels bad when an unknown man's body touches me on the subway," she lamented.
As 'jjokbeolnam' (men who spread their legs wide) emerged as a social issue, a term referring to this behavior was coined. The Oxford Online Dictionary in the UK even included the word 'manspreading,' which refers to male passengers who sit with their legs spread on buses or subways, annoying those sitting next to them.
Complaints about discomfort caused by men spreading their legs are similar in other countries. In 2017, the Madrid City Council, bus companies, and women's organizations in Spain launched a 'No Manspreading' campaign.
At that time, Madrid City attached 'No Manspreading' posters on city buses and announced plans to expand the campaign to subways and all public transportation.
Also, in 2014, the New York subway displayed posters with the phrase "Sir, please stop spreading your legs" inside stations, promoting a 'No Manspreading' movement.
Experts analyzed that the strong discomfort toward 'jjokbeoljok' is related to stress from invasion of personal space.
Professor Kwak Geum-ju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University explained why passengers feel uncomfortable with 'jjokbeolnam': "Humans have an instinct to protect their personal space, and even if the 'private space' in public places is small, there is an instinct to guard it. From the perspective of the person affected, they feel great discomfort because their space has been invaded."
Meanwhile, there is also criticism that the nature of subway seats makes it inevitable for legs to spread. Subway seats are arranged side by side, leading to more frequent physical contact compared to other public transportation, according to this view.
As complaints about discomfort due to narrow subway seats arose, Seoul Metro announced plans to replace 1,914 out of its 3,550 train cars (53.9%) with more comfortable cars by 2024.
Seoul Metro stated, "As of the 26th, 350 out of 1,914 cars (18.2%) have been replaced. With the switch to six-seat cars, we expect passengers' journeys to become more comfortable and enjoyable."
On the 20th of last month, Incheon Transit Corporation conducted a campaign by attaching sole stickers to the floors of electric train seats to prevent "jjeokbeol"./Photo by Incheon Transit Corporation
Campaigns to resolve these passenger inconveniences have also been conducted. On the 20th of last month, Incheon Transit Corporation carried out a campaign by placing foot-shaped stickers on the floors of train car seats to prevent 'jjokbeol'.
Incheon Transit Corporation announced it will continue to attach these stickers inside train cars. As of the 26th, the stickers have been installed at 96 locations on Line 1 and 160 locations on Line 2, totaling 256 locations.
An official from Incheon Transit Corporation said, "The response to the 'No Manspreading' stickers has been positive. Especially female passengers often felt uncomfortable when large male passengers sitting next to them spread their legs, but they hesitated to point it out. We understand that the stickers have been very helpful in this regard."
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