SEOUL: A Seoul Metro station worker is taking legal action against an American influencer who allegedly filmed and criticised him online after her companions were caught attempting fare evasion.
The Allbaleun Union, Seoul Metro’s third-largest union representing younger employees, told The Korea Herald that it helped the worker file a complaint with Korean authorities against Victoria Prince on charges including insult and defamation.
The incident occurred around 12.30pm on Sept 7 at Myeong-dong Station on Seoul Subway Line No. 4, where the influencer, who has more than 500,000 followers on TikTok, was with her boyfriend, Alessandro Canale, also an influencer, and their Korean friend.
Canale and the Korean friend passed through the fare gate on a single tap of one transit card. The station worker who witnessed it stopped the pair for fare evasion and informed them of the additional fare, the union said.
The pair then strongly protested, and Prince filmed the worker without his consent. They ultimately paid 48,050 won (US$35.72), equivalent to 31 times the 1,550-won single-ride fare, as required under Seoul Metro’s Conditions of Carriage.
Prince later uploaded the footage, titled "The worst person we met in Korea," to TikTok and Instagram without blurring the worker's face, accusing him of racial discrimination.
As the video spread rapidly online, he sought legal help from the union, with the complaint formally lodged on Sept 8.
The video drew widespread criticism from Korean users and influencers, some of whom called on Korean beauty brands associated with her to respond. The video has since been deleted.
"She's making money in Korea working with brands like Olive Young and TIRTIR, and then mocking a station worker who's just doing his job? Why are these companies still working with her?" one user wrote on Threads.
As the controversy intensified, Prince said in another video posted Saturday that she mistakenly assumed two people could pass through a subway fare gate using a single transit card, as multiple passengers can pay with one card on Seoul buses.
Under Seoul's public transportation policy, a single transit card can pay fares for up to 30 passengers on a bus.
She added that she began filming after the station worker swore at them during the dispute. The union rejected her claim, saying the worker never used abusive language.
"Dealing with fare evasion involving foreign passengers who speak a different language and come from a different cultural background is never an easy task. Despite the circumstances, our employee handled the situation responsibly and followed the rules," said Song Si-young, head of the union.
"Yet instead of reflecting on their actions, they mocked and criticised the worker online, causing him serious emotional distress and humiliation. We view this not as a simple online incident but as an infringement on a worker's dignity and rights, and we will support him in pursuing all available legal action."
Fare evasion by foreign passengers on Seoul's subway system has been rising alongside a sharp increase in international visitors.
Seoul Metro recorded 732 fare evasion cases involving foreign passengers through August, already nearing last year's total of 840.
Additional fares collected reached 135.86 million won during the period, compared with 199.83 million won for all of last year, data showed. - The Korea Herald/ANN
