When a shirtless runner becomes a police matter
A friend of mine was eating a pork cutlet when his phone rang. It was his landlord calling. Assuming something serious had happened, he picked up. A barrage of questions followed. His Korean was not good enough to comprehend everything, but the urgency in his landlord's voice was unmistakable. Had there been a fire? Had someone broken into his apartment? He hurried home and found several police…
A friend of the reporter experienced a peculiar encounter when his phone rang. His landlord was on the line, sounding anxious. The reporter, unfamiliar with Korean, couldn't grasp the full conversation but sensed urgency. Upon returning home, he found several police officers waiting outside. One of them clarified the situation. An elderly neighbor had called the police after spotting a shirtless man walking around the neighborhood.
The reporter was the one in question. The caller neglected to mention that the runner was indeed wearing shorts, carrying a water bottle, and sweating due to intense exercise. He had just completed a run and removed his shirt shortly after, only a few meters from his residence. The police explained that such an incident could raise suspicions among residents, who might mistake the shirtless individual for being intoxicated, acting suspiciously, or otherwise causing disturbances.
Having resided in Korea for an extended period, the reporter was aware of certain social norms that could have mitigated the misunderstanding.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- When a shirtless runner becomes a police matter koreatimes.co.kr
