Only Targeting Women, "Give Me Money"... Cross-Dressing Man Arrested on Line 3

Seoul Metropolitan Subway 'Cross-Dressing Man' Warning
Shouting at Female Passengers and Extorting
Arrested at Hoegi Station While Committing Crime

A man in his 30s who was dressed as a woman and demanding money from female passengers on Seoul Subway Line 3 was arrested by the police.

A burly man dressed in women's clothing is seen extorting money from a female passenger.
[Photo by JTBC 'Sageonbanjang']

On the 14th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s subway investigation unit announced that they had arrested a man identified as A on the spot at Hoegi Station around 4 p.m. the previous day on charges of violating the Minor Offenses Act. A is accused of shouting threats such as "Just give me 1,000 won," "I want to go home," and "Give me money" at multiple unspecified women while traveling from Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on Line 2 through Wangsimni to Hoegi Station.

Earlier, around 10 p.m. on the 11th, A caused controversy by threatening female passengers and extorting money on the Ogeum-bound train of Subway Line 3. In the video footage, a large man about 180 cm tall stands in front of a middle-aged woman, shouting loudly for a long time and waving his hands in the air to intimidate her. He also drops an object presumed to be wire under her skirt. When the frightened woman cautiously offers cash, the man quickly snatches the money from her hand and approaches another woman.

A burly man dressed as a woman is extorting money from a female passenger.
[Photo by JTBC 'Sageonbanjang']

The Seoul Metro Customer Center received two complaints related to A. Staff from nearby stations immediately dispatched to search the train, but A had already fled. The informant B, who recorded the video, explained the situation, saying, "He looked like someone with mental issues," and "All the passengers were terrified after seeing him snatch money." B added, "Although we cannot confirm his exact identity, if he suffers from mental illness or a disability, he should receive proper care and measures should be taken to prevent further harm."

As this incident gained attention, claims surfaced on various social networking services (SNS) and online communities that A had also been spotted on Subway Lines 1, 4, and 5. Seoul Metro urged the public to promptly report such incidents using the 'Emergency Situation' feature on their official app, 'Ttota Subway,' if similar events occur.