"Be Careful of a Short, Closely Shaven Man on Subway Line 2"—Eyewitness Accounts of Inappropriate Contact with Women Spread

[Financial News] A post warning people to be cautious of a man allegedly making inappropriate physical contact with women on Seoul Subway Line 2 is spreading on social media.

A recent post on Thread said, "I’m on my way toward Sillim on Line 2, and he is standing pressed right up against women in this position," adding, "Everyone be careful. He’s a short, closely shaven older man."
The accompanying photo showed a man wearing a backpack standing closely behind a woman inside a subway car while looking at his cellphone.
The man’s body was pressed against the woman’s buttocks. The person who saw the scene said, "I don’t know why he was doing that," and reported, "He got off at Sillim Station after I kept staring at him."
Afterward, reports from people who had experienced similar incidents or seen the same man on Line 2 continued to appear under the post.
One online user said, "He must be a repeat offender. The same thing happened to me when I was taking Line 2 home from work," adding, "I have taken the bus ever since. I used to wear my bag in front when it was crowded, but because of the trauma, I never wear it in front anymore."
Another online user said they had seen the man on a train traveling from Gangnam Station toward Sadang Station on the 29th of last month. The user explained, "He deliberately stood where there were many people, especially behind women," adding, "His appearance was strange, so I kept watching him."
The user continued, "He was short, with narrow shoulders and a thin build. Perhaps because he was so thin, his head looked very large, and he was wearing a white mask," adding, "He was standing behind a woman, but when some older women nearby said something to him, he got off at Sadang Station at around 10 p.m., as if fleeing."
It has not been confirmed whether the person was the same individual, but as eyewitness accounts continue to emerge, more online users are urging others to remain cautious.

Sexual offenses on subways often occur by taking advantage of crowded conditions, making it difficult for victims to immediately recognize what happened or identify the perpetrator. There have also been cases in which suspects were caught attempting inappropriate physical contact with women while exploiting these circumstances.
In one case, a man in his 20s was accused of sexually assaulting women nine times on subway trains operating in Seongbuk District, Seoul, between October 18 and December 11 last year. Illegally filmed material was also discovered during the investigation, and he was sentenced to one year in prison in June.
There was also a case in which a currently serving teacher in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman on a Line 9 subway train late last May.
Regarding subway sexual offenses, police said, "During crowded commuting hours, the most frequent offenses involve touching someone’s body or pressing one’s genitals against them, while illegal filming also occurs nearly as often." Police urged victims not to hesitate to report incidents immediately, saying prompt reporting can help prevent further harm.
[email protected] Ahn Ga-eul Reporter