Slapped on the cheek with a "chalssak," cursed "You're digging yourself a hole"... enraged when criticized for 'No Mask'

"Who do you think you are to boss me around?" Customer slaps
Community center official also insults resident with "smelly" curse
Expert: "Quarantine is not something to be done alone"

CCTV footage showing a customer assaulting a convenience store owner after being asked to wear a mask./Photo by Online Community

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued for 1 year and 7 months, wearing masks has become a daily routine, but conflicts related to masks have not ceased, causing citizens to frown. There have been incidents where employees were slapped for requesting mask-wearing, and recently, a public official verbally abused a resident.

Some citizens said they have refrained from requesting mask-wearing for fear of getting involved in disputes when pointing out mask non-compliance. Experts emphasize that COVID-19 prevention is not an individual issue but about protecting public safety, and stress the need to raise citizens' awareness of public order.

On the 5th, a post titled "Currently filing a lawsuit against a no-mask troublemaker" was uploaded on an online community. The author, A, who identified as a convenience store owner, said, "I advised a drunken customer who was not wearing a mask to wear one," and added, "(The customer) said, 'I don't have a mask, so I will buy one,'" describing the situation at the time.

However, even after purchasing the mask, the customer only hung it on their hand without wearing it. A said, "Since there were other customers, I asked him to wear it quickly," but the customer then spat out harsh words such as "Who the hell are you to tell me to wear it, you XX," and "Are you the boss?"

According to A, the customer threatened the owner not only with verbal abuse but also with an umbrella and fists. When the owner tried to call the police, the customer slapped him and punched his jaw. The customer's assault was fully captured on the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage released by A.

A continued, "(The customer) even came with a knife and threatened, 'I will kill you.' When the police arrived and took him to the police station, he shouted, 'There will be a murder case, so be aware of that,'" adding, "I plan to file a lawsuit on charges of assault and violation of quarantine laws."

File photo. A public official working at a community center in Seoul used abusive language toward a resident who requested others to wear masks. Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, there was also an incident where a public official uttered insulting words to a resident. According to Gangnam District Office, on the 1st, a public official B working at a resident center in Seoul verbally abused a resident who requested, "Please wear a mask," with phrases like "You stinky people," and "You're just digging holes."

B reportedly continued the disturbance for about 20 minutes despite police and other staff trying to calm him down. The district office reportedly suspended B on the 2nd and is currently undergoing disciplinary procedures.

As a result, many citizens are worried about conflicts arising over mask-wearing recently. Kim, a worker in his 20s, said, "At the movie theater, eating food other than drinks is not allowed, but the person sitting two seats away was eating popcorn," adding, "I wanted to warn him, but I gave up because I might get involved in unnecessary disputes and would be distracted throughout the movie."

Another worker, Seo (30), said, "I endure it because I worry that pointing out mask non-compliance might make me seem overly sensitive," and added, "They probably don't care whether they catch COVID or not, but masks are actually worn more for others than for oneself. No one likes wearing masks. Everyone is struggling, so I hope people wear them properly."

Experts emphasize the need to raise citizens' awareness of public order. Professor Kwak Geumju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology explained, "I think the prolonged COVID-19 situation has pushed people's fatigue to the extreme," adding, "Since everyone is struggling, people react sensitively even to small things. Although requests to wear masks are legitimate, some people may feel unpleasant and react defensively depending on the situation."

She continued, "However, we must not forget that creating such conflicts does not solve the emergency situation," and suggested, "We need to remember that it is not just one person's effort but everyone's effort."