Women-only subway compartments are being test run on metro Line 1 in Busan. Some people agree with this policy, but some don’t.



These days, sexual crimes in the subway are increasing. Females are the victims of sexual harassment or hidden cameras. To prevent these kinds of unwanted sexual crimes, Busan’s subway company Humetro is implementing women-only subway compartments during rush hour (7 am to 9 am and 6 pm to 8 pm). I agree with implementing women-only subway compartments.


First, if men and women are separated in the subway during rush hour, sexual crimes like touching someone’s buttocks or breast will decrease. During rush hour, the subway is full of crowds. People usually do not have much space. Passengers often unwillingly make unwanted physical contact with someone. This often makes people uncomfortable. The implementation of women-only subway compartments can prevent physical contact or sexual harassment before it happens. Because males and females are physically divided, women can feel safe in the subway.

Second, women-only subway compartments will prevent women from becoming the victim of hidden cameras during rush hour. From National Police Agency statistics, most hidden camera crimes happen during rush hour. During rush hour, women who use the women-only subway compartments can be protected from this crime. Because the sexual criminals who commit this kind of crime are usually male, separating men and women is a proper solution. This policy can act as a barrier for women.

To conclude, women-only subway compartments will reduce unnecessary physical contact that might lead to sexual crimes targeting women. In addition, sexual crimes like hidden cameras will be decreased. Thus, I agree with women-only subway compartments.

●Opinion from a reader

Choi Han-young (Department of E-Trade, KMU)

I think women-only subway compartments are needed. Implementing women-only subway compartments during rush hour or weekend peak time, when women could easily become the victim of crimes, will protect women as become victims. Through implementing the subway compartments, sexual crimes will be decreased. Women can feel safer than before. Also, men can reduce unintended mistakes toward women that lead to misunderstandings. Uncomfortableness will be changed for both men and women. I think this policy will benefit both men and women.




Women-only subway compartments are being test run on metro Line 1 in Busan. According to this policy, during rush hour (from 7 to 9 A.M. and from 6 to 8 P.M.) only women can board subway car number 5. The purpose of this is to take care of pregnant women and women with children and to prevent sex crimes against women. It was started for good reasons, but I don’t agree with this policy.

First, it causes discrimination. The subway is for both men and women, and making women-only compartments is sexual discrimination. This treats men as sexual criminals, and restricts men’s right to sit on any seats they want. Furthermore, there are many subway users at rush hour, but other people lack space because of women-only compartments.

Second, women-only subway compartments are for taking care of women, but they can damage them. Recently, sex crimes such as touching someone’s body and taking a video without permission happen frequently on the subway, especially against women. To prevent this, women-only compartments were made. However, there is no supervisor preventing men from going into women-only compartments. To prevent subway sex crimes, more efficient policies like patrols in the subway and penalties against sexual criminals must be strengthened.

In conclusion, this system only causes discrimination and doesn’t prevent crimes. In Korea, women-only subway compartments were promoted in Seoul in 1992, 2007, and 2011 and in Daegu in 2013, but they were canceled because many people insisted that this is reverse discrimination against men. Women-only subway compartments are not suitable for our society.

●Opinion from a reader

Chun A-jeong (Major in International Trade and Commerce)

I think women-only subway compartments are not the right way. They are sexual discrimination. Since they are totally for women, women-only subway compartments mean that only women have the right to be protected. Also, the number of seats which men can sit on is decreased because of this policy. Especially at rush hour, as there are no seats left in other compartments, men can’t sit in the women-only compartments. Many people including men feel this policy is unfair.