'Are pregnant women royalty?' Man refuses to give up priority seat on Seoul subway

An account of a young man who refused to vacate a priority seat for pregnant women on the Seoul subway — and responded with a dismissive remark — has gone viral online, drawing widespread anger.

On Monday, a post appeared on the social media platform Threads describing a confrontation over a priority seat on Seoul Subway Line 2.

According to the author, identified only as A, a young man was sitting in the priority seat for pregnant women during the morning commute while a woman who appeared to be at least seven months pregnant stood beside him.

A approached the man and asked him to give up the seat, saying it was reserved for pregnant women.

The man refused to move, responding, "I sat down first. Are pregnant women royalty or something?"

The pregnant woman standing nearby then apologized to A, saying she was sorry and that it was fine. A said the person who actually owed an apology was someone else entirely, and criticized the man's attitude.

"Did you not come out of your mother's womb? Are you Bak Hyeokgeose, hatched from an egg?" A wrote in the post, a reference to the mythological founder of the Silla kingdom said to have been born from an egg.

A continued: "Yes, being pregnant is a privilege — carrying a life for ten months is not something just anyone can do. Stop just talking about the low birth rate and start showing consideration for the pregnant woman right in front of you."

Readers who came across the story left a range of comments, including: "It's just common sense to keep that seat free for pregnant women," "I wonder what kind of upbringing he had," "Think about how your own parents brought you into the world," and "If a young man is sitting in the priority seat, don't bother trying to say anything."