[Report] Seoul City Buses Halted for the First Time in 12 Years... Commuters Stranded Due to Strike

Only the word 'Strike' on the bus stop electronic board
Dangerous situations as citizens flock to the subway

The Seoul City Bus Labor Union (Bus Union) went on strike for the first time in 12 years on the morning of the 28th, causing continued inconvenience for commuters heading to work. As citizens flocked to take the subway instead of buses, there were frequent tense situations where crowd accidents nearly occurred in various places.

On the 28th, when the Seoul city bus union went on a general strike for the first time in 12 years, buses were parked at a bus garage in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

On the 28th, when the Seoul city bus union went on a general strike for the first time in 12 years, a driver was reading posts related to the bus strike inside a bus parked at a bus garage in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

On the 28th, as the Seoul city bus union went on a general strike for the first time in 12 years, causing a traffic chaos during the morning commute, commuters were waiting for buses at a bus stop in Sangam-dong, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

At around 8 a.m. that day, at the bus stop in front of Sadang Station on subway lines 2 and 4, the electronic display board showing the expected bus arrival times displayed the message, "Due to the strike, please use other means of transportation." Commuters checked the display board and belatedly started heading toward the subway station. Office worker Jeong Dayeon (32) said, "I didn’t even hear the news that Seoul buses were going on strike today," adding, "I’m trying to take the subway in a hurry, but I think I’m going to be late," with a worried expression.

Inside Sadang Station, the morning rush left no room to step as it was packed with commuters. Trains heading toward Bangbae Station arrived every three minutes, boarding passengers, but the waiting line in front of the train quickly grew long. Safety order personnel wearing light green vests were stationed at various points near the transfer stairs and screen doors, actively maintaining order.

Yu Gayoung (27), who was waiting for the subway toward Bangbae Station, said, "My company is near Sinnonhyeon Station, so I usually take a bus from Sadang directly, but today I came to take the subway because the buses are on strike," adding, "I’ve already missed two trains and I think I’ll be late, so I asked my company for understanding in advance."

On the morning of the 28th, when the Seoul city bus union went on strike for the first time in 12 years, an electronic display at a bus stop near Sadang Station on Seoul Subway Line 2 showed the message "Please use other means of transportation."
[Photo by Lee Seo-hee]

The bus stop near Dongdaemun Station on subway lines 1 and 4 was equally chaotic. Maeng Eui-rye (77), who was waiting for a bus without knowing about the strike, said, "I thought it was strange because no bus came even after waiting for a long time," sighing, "I have no choice but to walk to the subway station." High school student Lee Taehyung (17) also said, "I usually transfer buses to get to school, but today there are no buses, so I have to walk about 15 minutes to school."

In contrast to the quiet bus stop, the subway here was also overcrowded. Although trains arrived every minute, boarding was difficult due to the crowd of commuters. The subway doors repeatedly opened and closed once more due to passengers trying to squeeze in by any means.

The situation was similar at Euljiro 3-ga Station on subway lines 2 and 3, where office workers heading toward City Hall Station and Sindorim Station crowded onto the subway, filling the platform from the screen doors to the end of the wall. Some commuters even lined up outside the platform entrance. When the subway arrived, a tense scene occurred as a man in his 50s was almost knocked down by the crowd rushing into the train all at once.

On the morning of the 28th, when the Seoul city bus union went on strike for the first time in 12 years, Euljiro 3-ga Station on Seoul Subway Line 2 was crowded with commuters, creating a congested scene.
[Photo by Lee Ji-eun]

Kim Heeyoung (31), an office worker commuting from Hyehwa-dong in Jongno-gu to Euljiro 3-ga Station, said, "There is a bus that goes directly from Hyehwa to Euljiro, so I rarely take the subway to work," adding, "I’m exhausted from having to take the subway because of the strike."

Park (34), who was waiting for a train toward Yeongdeungpo Station, said, "My friends shared an article in a group chat saying the buses might go on strike, so I left 30 minutes earlier than usual," adding, "There are usually many people during rush hour, but it’s never been this crowded before. Coming early didn’t help."

Meanwhile, the Seoul Bus Union declared the strike at around 2:20 a.m. that day after negotiations with the employer, the Seoul City Bus Transportation Business Association, broke down. The labor and management sides held a marathon negotiation for over 11 hours starting from 3 p.m. the previous day at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission but ultimately failed to reach an agreement.

After the mediation deadline passed at midnight, both sides applied for an extension to continue talks but failed to narrow their differences. With the final negotiations falling through, the full strike began as scheduled from 4 a.m.