As rallies related to the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol are being held across Seoul, a post warning people to be cautious of a middle-aged man who frequently appears at these gatherings is spreading.
On the afternoon of the 16th, citizens near Dongsipjagak at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are urging the Constitutional Court to dismiss President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 22nd, a post on X (formerly Twitter) stated, "I saw Mr. A at today's rally as well, which is a bit concerning," adding, "There has been a middle-aged man wandering various rally sites for over a decade, walking with a cane and acting like a visually impaired person."
The author of the post, Mr. B, claimed, "Although there are talks that this man is visually impaired, the problem is that he has committed incidents such as sexual harassment at various protest sites and causes trouble by exploiting people's goodwill," and added, "He is a person who has harassed human rights activists while moving around different sit-in sites and events."
He continued, "Today, after the rally ended, I witnessed him approaching young women and talking to them," and advised, "You might help him once or twice, but if he keeps approaching or talking to you, it is best to clearly set boundaries." He further added, "If you ignore him or keep your distance, he sometimes sits down and cries loudly, but he has been doing this for over ten years, so just ignore him."
Another netizen, Mr. C, who saw the post, shared a similar opinion, saying, "Since there are more women than ever at these rallies, it is especially concerning." He explained, "This person comes to the rally sites claiming to be visually impaired and makes various requests to women, such as 'buy me food' or 'take me to the restroom,'" and warned, "If you refuse, he lies down and screams, causing a disturbance. Please be very careful." He also said, "This man mainly takes advantage of women's kindness," and advised, "Do not buy anything for him or give him money under any circumstances."
He added, "Male activists who have dealt with this person for a long time may come and chase him away with somewhat harsh voices. Do not be surprised. This is not about excluding disabled people but about protecting rally participants," and elaborated, "Based on over a decade of data, this person usually only refrains from causing trouble for a few hours when a 'male' loudly scolds and roughly chases him away."
Similar eyewitness accounts from other netizens followed. They left comments such as, "He is a large middle-aged man. He sometimes uses a cane but also carries it in his arms," and "He mainly targets those who seem easy to approach," urging caution.
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