Police Request Arrest Warrants for Jeonjangyeon Activists in 'Subway Boarding Protest'

On the 24th, the Hyehwa Police Station in Seoul announced that it had requested an arrest warrant for Yujinwoo, an activist of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon), who was detained during a subway boarding protest, on charges including violation of the Railroad Safety Act, obstruction of train operation, and injury.

On the 20th, members of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination affiliated group resumed a subway boarding protest at the platform of Seoul Subway Line 2, City Hall Station, in the direction of Dangsan Station, urging the inclusion of budget for disabled mobility rights in the 2024 budget allocation. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Yoo is accused of attempting to board a train at Dongdaemun Station on Seoul Subway Line 4 around 8 a.m. on the 22nd, obstructing train operation, and refusing to get off at the next station, Hyehwa Station, where he allegedly bit a station staff member.

The police explained, "Yoo caused injury to station staff, making the case serious," and added, "We applied for an arrest warrant based on concerns of flight risk and evidence tampering."

Lee Hyungsook, the representative of the Seoul Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination, who was detained along with Yoo, was released the previous day.

On the 22nd, Jeonjangyeon held a subway boarding protest to mark the 23rd anniversary of the accident in 2001 at Oido Station on Subway Line 4, where the wire of a lift carrying a disabled couple snapped, causing them to fall.

Seoul Metro claimed that the boarding protest by Jeonjangyeon caused about a 15-minute delay on the Line 4 northbound during the morning commute.