Jeonjangyeon Launches Surprise Subway Protest Around 8:20 AM
Samgakji Station Manager Hospitalized After Being Hit by Wheelchair During Announcement
An activist from the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities was stopped by the police on the 3rd while attempting to board the subway at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station. Photo by Choi Taewon skking@
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] The confrontation between the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon), which is attempting to resume subway boarding protests, and Seoul Metro, which is trying to block them, has escalated to an extreme level. At Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, a physical altercation broke out between Seoul Metro employees and Jeonjangyeon activists, and at Samgakji Station, the station master was hit by a wheelchair and taken to the hospital.
Jeonjangyeon launched a surprise subway protest around 8:20 a.m. on the 3rd. Although they had originally announced plans to continue their publicity campaign at the Samgakji Station platform on Seoul Subway Line 4 at 10:30 a.m. that day, they moved the action up by about two hours.
More than a dozen Jeonjangyeon activists boarded Line 4 at Seongsin Women's University Entrance Station around 8:22 a.m. that day. After getting off at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, they attempted to reboard but were blocked by Seoul Metro. Lee Hyungsook, chairperson of the Seoul Disabled Independent Living Center Council, said regarding the boarding restriction, “Our purpose is to ‘move’ to Samgakji Station, so why are we being prevented from boarding? Today, this is so unfair that we will demand a public apology from the corporation.”
Seoul Metro employees are preventing activists from the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination from illegally posting materials on the Line 4 platform at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on the morning of the 3rd. Photo by Tae-won Choi skking@
Disturbances broke out in various places. Around 10:10 a.m., when some disabled individuals tried to forcibly board the subway, police blocked them with shields, creating a tense standoff. The police guarding them shouted, “Don’t push. It’s dangerous. Police are human too,” but the activists responded, “We are human too. Please come out and let us ride the subway.”
About five minutes later, when a Jeonjangyeon activist shouted in someone’s face not to push, a Seoul Metro employee pushed him, leading to a physical fight between the two sides. The police immediately intervened to separate them, preventing the situation from worsening.
The head of Samgak Station (center) was hit by a wheelchair and fell while making an announcement at the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities on the 3rd, and was taken to the hospital. Photo by Choi Taewon skking@
The standoff between Seoul Metro and Jeonjangyeon continued at Samgakji Station. During this, the station master was hit by a wheelchair belonging to a Jeonjangyeon activist and was taken to the hospital. He was reportedly hit while making an announcement to Jeonjangyeon, saying, “Jeonjangyeon, please stop the protest and leave the station. If you refuse to leave, the corporation will be forced to refuse train boarding.”
Except for the surprise boarding on the previous day, Jeonjangyeon was completely blocked from boarding the subway on this day as well. Seoul Metro employees and police were lined up along the Line 4 platforms at Samgakji and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park stations, preparing to prevent Jeonjangyeon’s entry.
Meanwhile, on the 19th of last month, the court issued a compulsory mediation order prohibiting publicity campaigns that delay train operations by more than five minutes, which Jeonjangyeon accepted. However, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon indicated a tough stance, saying, “It’s absurd to allow a delay of five minutes when even a one-minute delay is a big problem.”
Accordingly, police and Seoul Metro, based on the Railway Safety Act, blocked Jeonjangyeon activists from boarding and alighting the subway, leading to a standoff lasting about 12 hours and 30 minutes during the subway publicity campaign on the 2nd, with protests continuing until 10 p.m.
Due to this confrontation, 13 trains heading toward Danggogae on Line 4 passed through Samgakji Station without stopping. Jeonjangyeon declared they would fight for one night and two days at Samgakji Station, claiming the corporation was unjustly refusing boarding, but later gave up and took the subway home.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
