'Rail Strike and Jeonjangyeon Protest'... Chaotic Monday Morning Commute

Rail Union General Strike Continues Until 9 AM
Train Operations Gradually Normalize Until Afternoon
Jeonjangeon Holds Subway Boarding Protest at City Hall Station

The first general strike by the Korea Railroad Workers' Union (KRWU) ended at 9 a.m. on the 18th, but aftershocks from the suspension of some train services continue. Meanwhile, the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon) held a boarding protest during the morning commute at City Hall Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, causing congestion on Monday morning.

At around 8:10 a.m. on the 18th, passengers are moving through a narrow passage secured by the police at City Hall Station platform on Seoul Subway Line 2 in preparation for the subway boarding protest by the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon).
Photo by Taewon Choi skking@

The KRWU ended the general strike at 9 a.m. that day. However, according to Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), the operation of 13 KTX trains and 22 Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains scheduled before 9 a.m. from the first train was suspended. The operation rate of metropolitan subway trains during rush hour was recorded at 93.2%. Mr. Park (35, male) said, "It usually takes 30 minutes to get from Suwon Station to Seoul Station by train, but because of the strike, there was only one Mugunghwa train around 8 a.m., and the next one was after 10 a.m., so I left home a bit early and took the subway, which took an hour." KTX operations are expected to normalize after 5 p.m., and regular and freight trains after 6 p.m. that day. KORAIL operates metropolitan subway Lines 1, 3, and 4 jointly with Seoul Metro, in addition to KTX and regular trains. It also operates the Gyeongchun Line, Gyeongui-Jungang Line, Gyeonggang Line, Suin-Bundang Line, Seohae Line, and Donghae Line.

In this situation, Jeonjangyeon staged a subway boarding protest. From 8 a.m. for about two and a half hours, Jeonjangyeon held a boarding protest on the Line 2 platform at City Hall Station on Lines 1 and 2, holding placards reading "Immediately Guarantee the Right of People with Disabilities to Spatial Mobility." This was the second boarding protest since it resumed on the 11th.

About 90 police officers and Seoul Metro subway security personnel were deployed on site to stop the protest. During this process, physical clashes occurred between Jeonjangyeon members and the police. The police took measures such as securing separate passageways to minimize passenger inconvenience and to move and board other passengers, but trains were delayed by 5 to 10 minutes, causing continued inconvenience for some commuters. Some passengers struggled through narrow passageways and were redirected to other routes just before the stairs. The overlapping of Jeonjangyeon's statements, subway delay announcements, and police warnings created noise that overwhelmed the platform. Ms. Go (26, female), who was waiting for a Line 2 train toward Chungjeongno at City Hall Station that day, said, "I hope they avoid holding protests that inconvenience citizens during the busy commute." Ms. Kim (65, female) also said, "It's very inconvenient because I often take the subway. Last time, I waited a long time to board the subway, and I hope the police can properly prevent this."

The police and Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a strict response policy to Jeonjangyeon's protest. A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official said, "We will guarantee lawful assemblies but will take measures to minimize inconvenience to subway users," adding, "If violent acts occur, we will respond firmly, including arresting offenders on the spot." A Seoul city official said, "We will cooperate with Seoul Metro to provide sufficient personnel to respond to Jeonjangyeon's boarding protest and minimize operational delays," and "We will take strict action against illegal acts that cause inconvenience to citizens."