Tuesday, September 22, 2026

"You might as well fly" vs. "KTX is the villain"... KTX aisles jammed with suitcases [What do you think?]

Input
2026-09-22 15:40:48
Updated
2026-09-22 15:40:48
Photo: X

[Financial News] A heated online debate has erupted after photos showing the entrances and aisles of a KTX train car packed with large suitcases were released.
Debate over KTX aisle packed with large suitcases

On the 21st, two related photos were posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, along with a message that read, "KTX suitcase villains. If you're going to bring this much luggage, you might as well fly."
The aisle between the KTX cars and the areas around the doors were blocked by large suitcases and duffel bags, leaving barely any room to step through. With the luggage racks already full, large suitcases had been stacked layer upon layer onto the aisle floor. There was not even enough space in front of the automatic doors for one person to pass through comfortably.
Airline baggage tags were hanging from the bag handles, suggesting that the luggage belonged to passengers who had boarded the train directly from the airport.
Person A, the author of the post, explained in the comments, "Foreign tourists traveling to regional areas had brought the large suitcases with them, moved back and forth, and piled them up."
Online reactions were divided. Those criticizing the passengers for blocking the aisle condemned the behavior, saying, "At the very least, shouldn't you leave enough room for people to get through?" and "They have no consideration whatsoever for other passengers."
Many others, however, blamed the limitations of the train infrastructure rather than the passengers. The commenter whose post received the most agreement pointed out, "The villain isn't the tourists; it's KTX for failing to provide space for large luggage," adding, "We should blame the train's design, which can't even accommodate one suitcase per passenger."
"Foreign tourists keep increasing"—securing luggage space is the next challenge

There were also a series of accounts that crew members had instructed passengers to place their luggage in the aisle because the luggage racks were full. One netizen highlighted the limitations of the current system, saying, "I took a KTX from Seoul Station on a weekend, and when even the crew couldn't find space in the luggage racks, they suggested putting the bags in the aisle."
Other comments included, "It's unavoidable as long as the number of foreign tourists continues to rise," and "I hope they make room for suitcases, even if that means reducing the number of seats."
[email protected] Seong Min-seo Reporter