Korean Metro calls Chinese 'noisy villains' who create 'ruckus', faces backlash

South Korea Metro was recently slammed for being racist after an employee responded to an online complaint about Chinese-language announcements in subway stations. On Oct 26, someone complained online about “excessive Chinese announcements” in subways and palaces. To this, a staff member called groups of Chinese people "villains" on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s website, writing that some of their groups can become noisy and disruptive.

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

It went on to add that announcements asking them to be orderly and conduct themselves well are also needed. “It is necessary we broadcast Chinese announcements encouraging order and good conduct on trains, putting out an enlightening reminder against disorder.”

It further stated that Seoul Metro would look into the "possibility of broadcasting announcements only in Korean and English in the future".

The comments were widely criticised, with Seoul Metro being labelled culturally biased.

Seoul Metro vows to improve things

It quickly responded to mitigate the consequences, issuing a statement and publicly apologising for “the inappropriate language and content regarding Chinese tourists in the response to the complaint”.

Seoul Metro also said that it would hold training for all its employees to avoid such incidents in the future. Those responsible for responding to complaints would receive "special training". Other areas would also be improved upon, including 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.

It added that it would work to create a "more convenient subway environment" for foreign tourists.

The geopolitical situation between China and South Korea has reportedly led to anti-China sentiments among Koreans. South Korea, under President Yoon Suk-yeol, has strengthened ties with the US and Japan while distancing itself from China.