Elderly Woman Assaults Surgery Patient for Sitting in Priority Seat on Subway

A woman who was heading home after undergoing surgery was verbally and physically assaulted by an elderly woman while sitting in a priority seat on a subway train.

Recently, a post was shared on social media by an individual identified as A, stating, "I got into an argument with an elderly woman inside a Seoul Subway Line 2 train."

At the time, A, whose physical condition was poor right after surgery, was traveling while seated in the priority seat for vulnerable passengers.

According to A, an elderly woman approached and started an argument, asking, "Are you elderly or pregnant?"

Although A explained, "I am on my way home after having surgery," the verbal abuse did not stop. The woman demanded, "Give up your seat immediately," and eventually assaulted A in the face.

When A attempted to film the situation with a smartphone to document it, the assault continued.

[Don't you dare upload this. Where, where, where are you trying to take pictures? How impudent.]

When nearby citizens intervened, saying, "Why are you hitting someone?" and "You shouldn't act like that, even if you are an elder," the woman shouted back in protest.

[(No, she's trying to take pictures of me.) Well, please don't do that. You shouldn't behave that way just because you're an adult.]

A stated that escaping the situation with the help of surrounding passengers, she reported the incident to the police, adding, "My surgical site throbs more, and I am going through a very difficult time mentally."

The subway "seats for the elderly" were officially renamed "priority seats for vulnerable passengers" back in 2005.

Under the current Act on Transportation Convenience of Persons with Disabilities, priority seats can be used by anyone who experiences difficulty moving around, not just senior citizens, but also injured individuals, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and those accompanied by children aged 5 or under.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Lee Ui-seon | Graphics by Lee Su-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.