Nope, this isn't a news article. It's what I've witnessed recently. I'm not talking about those pervs who rub up against you when it's crowded. I'm talking about hidden cams.

With all these posts mike posted of high-pixel cameras on phones, it just reminded me of what I saw a few weeks ago in the subway. I caught some loser/pervert taking pics down women's shirts.

This guy had a digital SLR camera over his shoulder holding it by the neck strap, looking up in the air (with sunglasses on, of course), and it seemed like he used the remote in his pocket to snap pics. So it just appeared as if he was just standing there doing nothing.

I was standing not too far and noticed in the LCD display a scene of...well, a girl's chest freeze-framed for several seconds over and over.

I kept giving the guy a dirty look but he kept acting like he didn't notice me. So...I told the poor girl what the guy was doing. She was furious and tried to take the camera; screaming of what the guy was doing. That got a lot of peoples' attention and that's when everyone started grabbing him and his camera. Then you'd hear a girl shout out, "It's true! It's all here! Look!"

Well, I didn't mean to start a riot, but...oh well. The guy deserved whatever he got, IMO. I'm pretty sure a few guys (especially the boyfriends) dragged the guy to the security office after a beat down. I didn't stick around; had to get off at my stop.

So, ladies, look out for "photographers", shoe cams, people messing with their cell phones, or acting like they are watching DMB phones. The guy I saw was pretty slick...he was a pro! Lucky for me (or the women) I was looking into digital cameras, which got me to notice.

Thanks for posting that eddie. I've sometimes wondered about men looking into cell phones on the subway. I'm sure that most if not all were being completely innocent, but it makes you wonder

I feel out of touch because I don't have a camera on my phone. Never saw the use of it.

This story is pretty disturbing.

There are a lot of prevs out there! I was once hit on by a short, 50-year old Korean man that spoke little English. He kept trying to felt my bicep and told me how beautiful I was. He kept asking me to have dinner with him in Suwon. It lasted about 20 minutes.

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Kind of fun, eh? yeah, things happen! (Sometime you walk right into it, Mike!)

I like to take candid photos, myself, but I hadn't thought of putting the camera on my shoulder... There isn't much point in "down the blouse shots" in Korea. Europe, maybe. Oh well.
Always have a camera--EddieV9 could have had a nice shot of the cool pervert in sun glasses-that would have served him right!
there are many interesting things to see on the subway. I noticed an older couple holding hands. That isn't done in public much even today except teen agers. Our western ways are corrupting them all!

agashi, we men often find ourselves staring at attractive women, short skirts, unbuttoned blouses, etc. It's only natural. But I have to draw the line at what that guy was doing. I bet he takes pictures like that all day and puts them up on the Internet for download. I think its cruel.

mike, that's a scary story of the guy hitting on you. With the exception of that guy you described, I find many Korean men to be...with all due respect, very feminine. They are really touchy with each other in a way that'd give us goose bumps. Kind of freaks me out sometimes.

Mr. Joe, that older couple you saw holding hands in the subway...most likely adulterous! And that's not a Western thing...it's universal!

Oh, don't get me wrong eddie. There's nothing wrong with checking people out. What would be the fun of wearing mini skirts if nobody found them attractive. But, I don't see too many Korean girls showing cleavage on purpose, and that guy was totally invading her privacy. I have no problems with people looking at me, but I find that Koreans (especially older Koreans - men and women) tend to glare. No offence to any Koreans - but I really hate when ajashis or ajumas just stare at me up and down without even trying to hide it - like I have no feelings or something.
Anyway, that's a different topic.
Mike, I've heard many stories about men getting hit on by other Korean men. I find it funny because, there's no homosexuality in Korea, right? That's a Western "problem". Ya, right!

Ahh, yes...the annoying stares and glares from the older Koreans. I'll never get used to that part of this culture no matter how long I've been here...and honestly, I don't even plan on accepting or understanding it, either. It bugs me...and if it bugs me enough, I'll say something to them. Would that make me "the ugly American"? These days, I notice even some younger Koreans seem to be annoyed by that. I've seen a few Korean girls who shout at the older Korean men when they stare. It must be a generational thing. Or...could it be "the Western influence"?

In spite of what this would appear to be - especially to an American - I think there's a pretty good chance that this guy was not trying to make a homosexual pass at you.

This would especially be true if this didn't happen recently (let's say... in this century), and if it wasn't in Seoul.

Koreans have always been tremendously enamored of foreigners, and even in Seoul, it's only been a matter of a decade or so since the nearby presence of a foreigner wasn't a "big deal." Although, it still is in most non-urban places. Anyone who has been in Korea long enough knows what I mean. You pull up at a red light, and the people in the car in front of you, behind you, on both sides of you... and any other car within eye-sight - everyone is staring at you. The kids are jumping up and down on the seats pointing at you and making sure everyone else in the car knows that there is a foreigner to look at. When they have an opportunity to be with one, some will try to talk with you - and some will go much further, such as offering to buy you dinner.

Wanting to feel your bicep is not unusual for a Korean who hasn't ever felt a foreigner's bicep. It's not much different than the desire for Koreans to run their fingers through a foreign child's hair.

And the part about calling you beautiful... As you said, his English was very limited. If he wanted to compliment you, that may have been one of the few words that he knew, and it's very unlikely that he knew the implications of a man calling another man "beautiful" in the American culture. Having said that, it's perfectly normal for a Korean man to refer to another man as a "mi-nam," (미남 美男) which literally means "beautiful man" in Korean, but is more appropriately translated in English as a "handsome man."

I once went out to dinner with a very nice Korean couple. Both of them were very well educated. I was teaching them English as the man was getting ready to take an executive position at the branch of a Korean company in NYC and the wife was planning on studying for a PhD while she was there. We went to a very nice hotel restaurant for dinner. The couple really liked me. I think it was because I was so atypical for an American - namely, I could speak Korean well and knew a fair amount about the Korean culture. While walking out of the restaurant, the man reached down and held my hand as we walked toward the exit. This lasted for at least 30 long, excruciating seconds. Of course, my initial inclination was to jerk my hand away from him. But I somehow managed to restrain myself, and eventually, he let go of my hand.

Bottom line... people do things in other cultures differently. If you view those actions only from your cultural perspective, they can easily be mininterpreted.

Hi Willy. Thanks for sharing that story. You make a very good point. I also don't feel comfortable when Korean women hold onto my hand or arm in public. But, I've seen Korean women walking like this all the time, so I know it's a sign of affection. And, yes, it is the same for men and women. I have certain friends of mine that could hold my hand and I wouldn't feel uncomfortable. But, those are very close friends, not someone I just met. I too restrain from pulling my hand away.
I've also been out with Korean women who constantly doted over me the whole night. At first it's a nice compliment to be called beautiful, but they wouldn't stop calling me beautiful and making compliments and telling me how much they liked me. I was just thinking, "I've barely said anything all night. How do they know they like me this much?" It also seems to be normal in Korea for people to tell you that you are pretty or beautiful the first time they meet you. I'm not sure if they say it whether they mean it or not. But, when I meet someone for the first time, even if I think they're gorgeous I don't say to them, "Oh, you're so beautiful."
Anyway, those are just some cultural things I've noticed here.

Thanks, Willy! That is information that I agree with, and suppose needs to be said, so that folks experiencing the Orient for the first time won't get bent out of shape and maybe react in a way which would seem perfectly right in New York, but would confuse these people and maybe cause them to believe the Americans are truly rude and crude!
You should give them all the benefit of the doubt, for in my book, they all mean well, and most all appreciate and understand that we have done a lot for their country. The language barrier may be overcome by holding hands more often!