'I was so shocked': Search underway for man who unzipped pants on train
Published: 21 Apr. 2025, 17:00
![A man in military uniform shows his genitals in a subway on the Shinbundang Line on April 19. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/21/c4d358bb-cb2c-4193-90fa-be1beb69e82a.jpg)
A man in military uniform shows his genitals in a subway on the Shinbundang Line on April 19. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
The Seocho Police Precinct launched an investigation on suspicion of public indecency, Channel A reported Monday. Authorities have yet to confirm the identity of the man, who was wearing a military uniform during the incident, or whether he is an active-duty soldier.
The incident came to light on Saturday when a user posted a video to social media platform X that appeared to show a man with his zipper open and his genitals exposed, accompanied by a warning that read, “Women riding the Shinbundang Line, please be careful.”
The user said a woman who the man had exposed himself directly in front of had sent the video to them. “I was on the Shinbundang Line today when a man in uniform stood in front of me with his zipper open.”
In an interview with Channel A aired on Sunday, the woman who had filmed the footage described the encounter in detail.
“At first, I thought he just forgot to zip up,” she said. “But I saw that he wasn’t wearing underwear — his genitals were exposed. It felt like he kept checking whether they were still visible by lifting his shirt repeatedly.”
She added that the man seemed unfazed by the presence of other passengers.
“I was so shocked that I tried to send a message to the Shinbundang Line complaint hotline, but it didn’t go through,” she said. “So I contacted the police instead, and they filed the case as a public indecency incident. He hasn’t been caught yet.”
The woman, who rides the Shinbundang Line daily, said the experience left her shaken. “The police advised me that in cases like this, it’s faster to send a text with the train number directly to 112 rather than filing a complaint to the subway management,” she added.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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