Seoul’s subway operator apologises for calling Chinese tourists ‘villains’

Seoul Metro has apologised after an employee caused controversy recently by posting a derogatory online response to a public complaint about Chinese-language announcements in subway stations.

In response to a complaint, posted on 26 October about “excessive Chinese announcements” in subways and palaces, Seoul Metro wrote on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s website that groups of Chinese people can become noisy and disruptive, calling them “villains”.

“When two or more Chinese gather together, they can get noisy and make a ruckus, turning into villains,” it said.

It even suggested adding announcements promoting order among them: “It is necessary we broadcast Chinese announcements encouraging order and good conduct on trains, putting out an enlightening reminder against disorder.”

“We will review the possibility of broadcasting announcements only in Korean and English in the future,” it added.

However, Seoul Metro later denied reviewing any plan to limit announcements to Korean and English.

The post drew backlash for being inappropriate, for exhibiting racial and cultural bias, and for its exclusionary tone.

Seoul Metro issued a statement after the controversy grew and publicly apologised for “the inappropriate language and content regarding Chinese tourists in the response to the complaint”.

The operator promised to provide “special training” for all employees, including those handling complaint responses, to prevent similar incidents in the future. The company also committed to enhancing its services and implementing stricter content review processes before public release.

“We will also ensure that the head of the department replies to such complaints, or at least check the content of the responses,” the company said.

“We will make every effort to create a subway environment that foreign tourists can use more conveniently and foster a culture that recognises diversity in our organisation.”

Since president Yoon Suk-yeol took office, South Korea has strengthened ties with the US and Japan while distancing itself from China.

This shift, coupled with negative media coverage, has fueled anti-China sentiment among young South Koreans, Chung Jae-hung, an expert from the Sejong Institute, was quoted as saying by the Chinese state-run paper The Global Times.

A study conducted in March 2022 by the Sinophone Borderlands research team at Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic, said that 80 per cent of South Koreans held a negative perception of China.