On Friday, December 15, an unusual incident unfolded aboard a KTX train departing from Gwangmyeong Station, involving a foreigner hanging onto a train.

As the train pulled away from the platform, a man was spotted gripping the connecting area between the KTX cars with a single hand. This incident occurred around 4:00 PM last Friday at Gwangmyeong Station in Gyeonggi Province.

The foreign man, identified as an American in his 30s, had missed the train and attempted to board the moving KTX, asserting that he possessed a valid ticket. When asked to get off the train, the man protested by raising his hand and seemingly questioning the nature of the issue.

Thankfully, station personnel spotted the hanging foreigner before the train accelerated too much. The train stopped after covering a distance of about 40 meters, ensuring no injuries occurred.

A railway official stated, "He was an American man in his 30s. If we didn't stop (the KTX), he would've died. Our staff quickly relayed the message via radio, prompting the train to stop."

In the aftermath, the man managed to board the train and reached his destination at Gwangju Songjeong Station. However, upon his arrival, he was subsequently handed over to railway police and received a fine of 1.5 million KRW (~1,153.40 USD) for violating railway safety laws.

The railway police official clarified, "In his attempt to reach Gwangju, he decided to cling onto the train, believing that doing so would prompt them to open the door and allow him on board. The fine was imposed due to the disruption in train operations, and he acknowledges the violation in light of the circumstances."