[Report] "With City Buses Delayed, I Have to Take a Taxi"...Citizens Stranded as Strike Resumes

As of the Morning, 87% of Buses in Operation... About 900 Drivers Join Strike
Citizens Crowd Buses on Their Way to Work and School
Emergency Measures Implemented, Including Extended Subway Service

On the morning of the 9th, when the Gwangju city bus union resumed a full strike, a bus stop in Seo-gu, Gwangju, was crowded with citizens heading to work. Photo by Min Chanki

"I wonder how long citizens will be held hostage by this situation."

On the morning of June 9, at a bus stop in Seo-gu, Gwangju, the city bus union resumed its full-scale strike. As the strike, which had been suspended during the Memorial Day holiday, resumed, citizens found themselves stranded and voiced their inconvenience.

As of the morning of June 9, 887 out of 1,000 city buses in operation in Gwangju were running, reducing the operation rate to 88.7%. Four out of ten city bus companies decided not to participate in the strike, so their routes continued normal operations. Of the approximately 2,400 city bus drivers in Gwangju, about 900 were reported to be participating in the strike.

Citizens waiting for buses to go to work or school anxiously checked the electronic bus information boards and mobile apps. When their buses failed to arrive even after dozens of minutes, many let out deep sighs of frustration.

With fewer buses in service, the interiors of the buses quickly became packed with passengers. Office workers, pressed for time as the start of the workday approached, squeezed themselves onto crowded buses, barely managing to board.

One citizen, who had come to visit family early in the morning with a suitcase in hand, was overheard on the phone saying, "Because of the bus strike, I think I'll be late. I'll take a taxi," expressing frustration to family members.

With the strike resuming from Monday, citizens voiced complaints everywhere. Jang Mo (33), an office worker, said, "Using citizens' mobility as a bargaining chip is an irresponsible attitude by both the city bus union and management. They need to realize that all citizens who use the bus are enduring this inconvenience."

On the morning of the 9th, when the Gwangju city bus union resumed a full strike, a taxi stand in Seo-gu, Gwangju, was crowded with citizens. Photo by Min Chanki

Due to the city bus strike, the adjacent taxi stand was crowded, with about 30 citizens lining up. Kim Mo (41) said, "Since the buses are delayed, it's inconvenient to wait, so I'm going to use a taxi. My parents are hospitalized and I have to care for them every day, but with the bus strike, I end up spending unnecessary money on taxi fares."

The Gwangju city government has established emergency transportation measures, adjusting bus intervals during rush hours to keep route operation rates above 80%. Subway service is being extended by 12 additional runs, and taxis are being dispatched intensively to bus stops frequently used by citizens.

Out of 97 routes, 51 are operating normally, while 46 have reduced service. The city plans to maintain an operation rate in the 80% range by deploying non-union drivers and other personnel.

A city official stated, "It is difficult to resume labor-management negotiations as the positions of the union and management are sharply divided, but we are doing our best to coordinate. We will ensure that emergency transportation measures are thorough so that citizens experience no inconvenience."