Disabled Groups' Protest Causes Over One Hour Delay on Line 5 During Morning Commute

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Due to protests by disability rights groups demanding the "right to move without discrimination," various stations on Seoul Subway Line 5 experienced delays of over an hour during the morning rush on the 20th.

According to Seoul Metro, at around 7:12 a.m. that day, the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon) began a protest at Wangsimni Station on Line 5 by wedging wheelchair wheels between the train and the platform gap to prevent the doors from closing. During this process, the platform safety doors were also damaged. From around 7:30 a.m., Jeonjangyeon carried out similar protests at Yeouido Station and Haengdang Station on Line 5. The protest ended at approximately 9:45 a.m.

A Seoul Metro official stated, "Delays were estimated at 1 hour and 40 to 50 minutes toward Banghwa, and over 1 hour and 10 minutes toward Hanam and Macheon." From around 10 a.m., Jeonjangyeon continued their protest in front of the residence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki near Gongdeok Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul, urging the inclusion of budgets for disabled persons' mobility rights. Earlier, on the 13th, Jeonjangyeon also conducted a protest at Hyehwa Station on Line 4 around 8:11 a.m., boarding and alighting the subway repeatedly, causing delays in subway operations.

Jeonjangyeon has been holding mobility rights guarantee protests since the beginning of this year and, since the 6th, has been conducting morning subway commute publicity campaigns at Hyehwa Station platform every day at 8 a.m., demanding the revision of the "Act on the Promotion of Convenience for Transportation Vulnerable Persons" within this year.

Seoul Metro revealed that it filed a damages lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court on the 23rd of last month against Jeonjangyeon and related disability organizations and individuals. In the complaint, the company stated, "The defendants repeatedly boarded and alighted trains using electric wheelchairs seven times from around January 22 to November 12, 2021," and claimed, "They planned, led, and executed illegal acts intentionally delaying train operations." Seoul Metro reported that the total delay time caused by the seven protests from January to November was 6 hours, 27 minutes, and 19 seconds, and that more than 544 complaints were received by the company.

The company added, "As of December 2020, elevators have been installed in 256 out of 278 Seoul subway stations, and construction at 18 of the remaining 22 stations is scheduled to be completed by 2022," but argued, "Despite these explanations, the defendants refused to accept this and protested demanding 'elevators be installed in all stations'."

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