What Do You Think About the 'Heulgitjok' Who Sneakily Peek at Others' Phones?

If Someone Next to You Is Secretly Watching Your KakaoTalk Chat
On Crowded Public Transport
Blatant Staring... A Kind of 'Voyeurism·NO Manners'
"Nowhere Else to Look, Just Saw It" Unconscious Behavior, Excessive Tension

Seoul Subway Line 2. Passengers are focused on their smartphones.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "I don't understand why people are so intently staring at others' phones."

There has been frequent social controversy over the act of secretly peeking at others' phone screens while using public transportation such as buses or subways. Along with criticism of the so-called 'Heulgitsok' (glance tribe), there are also considerable opinions that this is an excessive sensitivity to unconscious behavior.

Those dissatisfied with the Heulgitsok mainly point out that they blatantly watch not only movies or dramas being viewed but also private KakaoTalk conversations. A woman in her 30s, office worker A, who said she usually commutes by bus, said, "I often chat with acquaintances on KakaoTalk when going to work, but I felt someone's gaze from somewhere. When I turned my head, I confirmed that an older man was secretly peeking at the chat window," adding, "It was so creepy that I just turned off the screen."

Another office worker in his 30s, B, said, "There are people who particularly look into other people's phones," and emphasized, "This is a matter of manners." He continued, "Since phone use mostly concerns privacy, people should refrain from blatantly watching others' phone screens." He expressed the hope that people would focus on their own tasks rather than peeking at others' smartphones.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, some argue that when using public transportation, people’s gaze may unintentionally be drawn to bright smartphone screens, but persistent peeking into private text conversations is rare. It is said that this behavior arises because there is nowhere else appropriate to look in crowded situations. Moreover, it is claimed that older people with presbyopia do not have good enough eyesight to closely examine small letters on the screen.

A man in his 40s, office worker C, who admitted to having looked at others' phones a few times, said, "I did not deliberately try to look secretly," adding, "Since it was right in front of me, my gaze was drawn unconsciously." He diagnosed, "People who openly stare seem problematic. Isn't it a kind of voyeurism?"

As there are so many Heulgitsok, the number of people attaching privacy protection films to their phone screens to prevent invasion of privacy is increasing. A man in his 20s, office worker D, who attached a privacy film, said, "I feel a bit more at ease after attaching the film," and added, "I am also informing my acquaintances about this method."