A drunken man delays train operation

A drunken man who intentionally shoved his foot through a subway door six times to disrupt the operation of the train and entered the operating room has been reported to the police. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is considering imposing a fine of up to 25 million won under the Railroad Safety Act.

The Seoul Metro announced on Monday that it has filed a police complaint against Mr. A, a man in his 30s who interfered with train operations while intoxicated, for violating the Railroad Safety Act. According to the Seoul Metro, Mr. A, who was riding a train on Subway Line 2 at around 9 p.m. on June 23, stuck his foot at the door six times when the train stopped at Wangsimni Station and Hanyang University Station. As a result, the train experienced a delay of approximately three minutes.

The crew tried to stop him with a passenger announcement, but he ignored it and broke into the operating room of the train. As Mr. A, who grabbed the driver and said, "I need to talk to you," other passengers pulled him away. "The operating room cannot be opened from the outside, so he followed the driver into the room who was out to stop Mr. A. So we were unable to stop him."

The city of Seoul is contemplating imposing a fine on Mr. A under the Railroad Safety Act. If the case is confirm‎ed charges of verbally abusing or assaulting a railroad worker, the offense carries a penalty of up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won. "We will maintain a firm stance with zero tolerance," stated the Seoul Metro. The Seoul Seongdong Police Station intends to summon Mr. A for an investigation in the near future.


chaewani@donga.com