KTX Train Etiquette: What Happened When a Passenger Laid Their Legs on the Armrest?

A video showing a passenger sleeping with their feet on the armrest of the seat in front of them aboard a KTX train has ignited a debate about public etiquette.

On April 21, a person identified only as A posted the clip and described what happened to them on a KTX running from Seoul to Masan.

On social media A wrote, \"What am I supposed to do when someone behind me keeps kicking me like that?\" and shared the footage as evidence.

The video shows a middle-aged woman seated with her legs stretched forward, both feet slipped into the gap between seats as she slept.

A said the woman's behavior made them uncomfortable.

A wrote, \"I can't win against someone like this, can I? I had to move. How do you handle a person like that? I recorded it because people might not believe me. Being kicked is one problem, but there was also a smell...\"

The incident was also covered on JTBC's program \"Case Files.\"

According to the report, A said they woke to a repeated sound while trying to sleep and went to investigate.

A said the middle-aged woman seated behind them had been repeatedly tapping their thigh.

They added that a foul odor in the car later woke them up again. When they looked, the same woman was asleep with both legs propped on the armrests of the seat in front of her.

About five to six passengers were in the car at the time.

A said they did not want to escalate the situation, so they ultimately moved to another seat.