"So Who Is Your Father?" The Full Story of the KTX Hamburger Woman Incident [Han Seung-gon's Case Notebook]

Ignoring quarantine rules, removing masks and eating hamburgers in train cabins
Openly ignoring crew guidance and loudly talking on the phone
When passengers protested, responded harshly with "Do you know who my dad is?" and "You look like a lowly X"
Public outrage grows, controversy escalates, then apologizes saying "I reflected on myself"

A woman eating food such as a hamburger with her mask lowered inside a KTX train. Photo by Online Community Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Public outrage continues against a female passenger who violated COVID-19 prevention rules by eating food such as hamburgers inside a KTX train cabin and, when confronted, shouted obscenities and raised her voice, saying, "Do you know who my father is?" Experts pointed out that trying to resolve the incident by invoking her father's authority could be seen as a form of aggravating offense, potentially worsening the situation. They also noted that her behavior reflects a lack of proper home education, emphasizing the urgent need for character education. The woman in question is currently reported to be reflecting on her actions.

The incident began on the 28th of last month when a post titled "KTX Inconsiderate Hamburger Troublemaker Woman" was uploaded to an online community. According to the poster, Mr. A, the female passenger, Ms. B, who boarded at Dongdaegu Station, ate a hamburger inside the train with her mask lowered. A train attendant saw this and instructed her, "You cannot eat here," and asked her to wear her mask, but Ms. B ignored the attendant's request and continued eating the hamburger.

Mr. A, who was near Ms. B, said, "This is a public transportation facility, so if you are going to eat, please go outside to the corridor," to which Ms. B responded, "What does it matter if I eat here or not?" and added, "You look poor and lowly, do you know who my father is? I won't let someone like you off easily."

Eventually, Mr. A posted a video of Ms. B causing a disturbance in the cabin on the online community. Public opinion then erupted, demanding to "find out who her father is."

Kim, a company employee in his 30s, said, "Even if her father is the president, she must follow the prevention rules," adding, "Everyone is struggling with COVID-19 these days, and people like her make me even more angry. This is unacceptable."

Another office worker in his 40s, Lee, said, "Watching the video, she is truly arrogant and reckless," and raised his voice, saying, "She should be severely punished for violating prevention rules and obstructing work."

In addition, comments on related articles also called for strict punishment for Ms. B. One netizen said, "She should have been arrested on the spot," criticizing, "KTX is not her private car; this is really too much."

A passenger who witnessed Mr. B's rampage is explaining the details of the disturbance. Photo by JTBC Capture

Along with the public's anger, if Ms. B's disturbance led to obstruction of KTX operations, it would be difficult for her to avoid punishment. On February 7, 2017, a man in his 50s who lay down on the tracks and obstructed KTX operations was prosecuted and found guilty. At that time, the Seoul Western District Court sentenced 52-year-old Mr. Kim, who was intoxicated and lay on the KTX tracks obstructing the train's operation, to six months in prison with a one-year probation.

◆ "Too hungry from consecutive meetings... nerves on edge" Woman who caused disturbance eventually apologizes

Meanwhile, the original poster who uploaded Ms. B's video left a follow-up post asking people to "stop trying to find out the woman's father." Mr. A said, "After checking through Instagram and even finding her KakaoTalk ID, I sent her a message this morning after much consideration," adding, "The conclusion is that she appears to be just an ordinary young woman from a typical family."

Mr. A emphasized, "Her identity has been confirmed to the extent that we no longer wonder who her father is," and "From the beginning, I was angry about such unreasonable behavior, not intending to do anything against her. I want to give her a chance to apologize."

The poster explained about the woman in the video, "She is 15 years younger than me, and since the news broadcast yesterday, the situation escalated, so she is scared," adding, "I requested a sincere apology by today. If not, I said I would file a complaint for defamation."

He continued, "Fortunately, she expressed remorse for her actions that day and apologized again," adding, "She also apologized to other passengers who were affected inside the train and explained that her behavior was caused by a state of nervousness and sensitivity." He added, "Now that this issue has become this big, I believe she will be more careful. I just hope she will develop her character and live humbly through this experience."

According to Mr. A, Ms. B sent an apology message saying, "I was very hungry after consecutive meetings, and my nerves were extremely sensitive and sharp," adding, "Of course, I recognize that attributing meaning to my personal situation was not a proper judgment, and looking back now, I realize my response was immature."

She continued, "I want to first sincerely apologize for not strictly following prevention rules during these sensitive times and am deeply reflecting on my actions," adding, "Given the situation, I regret how I reacted so strongly and sensitively to what should have been a reasonable criticism. I want to look back on my immature and agitated response at that time."

◆ Lack of character education... invoking power worsens the situation

Experts emphasized that Ms. B's words and actions reflect a lack of ethical awareness and ultimately highlight the need for character education. They also pointed out that trying to resolve the incident by claiming her father has powerful authority neither solves the problem nor helps her, but rather can backfire, causing public resentment and worsening her situation.

A psychology expert criticized, "Her words and actions show a lack of ethical awareness and extreme selfishness, which understandably caused discomfort and anger among those who witnessed and had to endure it." He added, "This is ultimately an educational issue, and proper character education at home and school is urgently needed to prepare individuals to live as members of society."

Regarding her mention of her father during the disturbance, effectively trying to use power to cover up the incident, a local police official said, "There are often people who try to resolve issues by invoking their father's authority," adding, "Legally, a father's power cannot resolve such incidents. Instead, it creates negative public opinion as aggravating behavior. The best solution is to reflect and accept proper punishment."

Meanwhile, Korea Railroad Corporation is reportedly reviewing whether to file charges against Ms. B for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Violating prevention rules such as not wearing a mask on the train results in a fine of 100,000 won. However, since the passenger stopped eating after two warnings and guidance, the decision to file charges is still under consideration.