Influencer caught fare-dodging on Seoul subway claims racial discrimination, posts station worker's face online

A foreign tourist caught attempting to fare-dodge on the Seoul subway has sparked controversy after posting a station worker's face on social media without consent.

According to JTBC's "Sageon Banjang" and other outlets, a group of foreign tourists was caught trying to evade fares at Myeong-dong Station on Seoul Metro Line 4 on Tuesday.

Two members of the group tapped their transit cards and passed through the turnstile first, after which one of the women handed her card back to a man still waiting outside.

Because the card had already been tagged for entry, the man was unable to get through. The woman then tapped the card for an exit, came back out through the turnstile and handed the card to the man, who used it to tag in and enter. He then tagged out and returned the card to the woman, who tagged in again — allowing two people to pass through on a single card.

A station worker who spotted the scheme on CCTV went down to the platform and explained to the group that what they had done constituted fare evasion, then walked them through the process for paying the surcharge. The worker also showed them an English-language notice on fare evasion and the passenger transport terms and conditions, and asked them to come to the station office.

The tourists pushed back, arguing that because the card had been tapped twice, the fare must have been charged twice. The station worker explained that tapping a card twice does not result in two separate charges.

The group then said they would pay the fine but refused to board the train, saying they were upset and demanding a refund.

They then pulled out a phone and began filming the station worker's face. The worker told them to stop, but they ignored the warning.

One of the group turned out to be an influencer with 220,000 followers. That evening, the influencer posted a video of the station worker's face on social media — unblurred — and alleged that they had been subjected to racial discrimination in South Korea.

The post racked up more than 2 million views, amplifying the controversy, while the station worker, whose face was exposed without protection, said they were suffering emotional distress.

In response, the Seoul Metro's Olbareun Labor Union sent the influencer a message demanding the video be taken down, but was blocked. The union ultimately filed a police complaint against the influencer on charges of insult, defamation and obstruction of business after reviewing its legal options.

As the backlash grew, the influencer deleted the video and posted a follow-up clip saying they had mistakenly believed a single transit card could be used by multiple people on the subway, as is the case with buses. The influencer, however, maintained that the station worker had hurled insults at them.

The station worker flatly rebuffed the claim, saying the interaction had been conducted entirely in English and that no insults were used. The influencer has since left South Korea.