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Bus driver verbally abuses passengers after arriving late to terminal

Published: 25 Sep. 2025, 09:22

A bus driver curses out his passengers on Sept. 22 in Sejong. [MBC]

An intercity bus driver hurled profanities at passengers after arriving at the terminal 30 minutes late and being asked about the delay, according to an MBC report Wednesday.

The incident occurred Monday at the Sejong Express Intercity Bus Terminal in Daepyeong-dong, Sejong. The bus was scheduled to arrive at 8:25 a.m. but pulled into the platform around 8:55 a.m.

When passengers asked the reason for the delay, the driver responded with a barrage of profanity and threats.

In a video released by MBC, the driver is heard yelling, “Even if your husband or father came, they’d be late too, you [expletive]! Apologize! If you don’t, I’m not leaving!”

Passengers ranging from students to elderly travelers were visibly stunned by the outburst. One passenger can be heard saying, “You’ve really crossed the line, mister.”

Another passenger told MBC, “He yelled, ‘You [expletive], if I'm late, shut up and get on. Or do you want to be even later?’ I was so shocked, my hands were trembling.”

An elderly male passenger eventually confronted the driver, leading to a brief altercation. The driver then called 112, the police emergency hotline, claiming he had been assaulted.

Police arrived at the scene and mediated the dispute. The bus eventually departed without a driver change, leaving around 50 minutes behind schedule for Gunsan, North Jeolla. Some passengers reportedly requested refunds and left.

The driver later admitted to verbally abusing passengers and explained that traffic congestion had caused the delay.

“One passenger kept snapping back, saying, ‘Just shut up and drive already,’” the driver told MBC. “That got me riled up, and I ended up arguing with that person.”

The bus company said it is conducting an internal investigation and will consider disciplinary measures, including docking the driver’s pay, if wrongdoing is confirmed.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]