Police Refer 6 More Jeonjangyeon Members for 'Morning Subway Commute Protest'

Sudden Protest Today... Operation of One Train on Line 1 Suspended

Members of the National Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination held a surprise protest on the morning of the 19th at Yongsan Station on Seoul Subway Line 1, condemning the non-stop passage measure during the subway boarding protest on the 14th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] On the 19th, the police announced that they have handed over six additional members of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeonjangyeon) to the prosecution on charges of delaying subway operations by staging protests during the morning commute.

A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official said at a press briefing that morning, "Out of the 28 Jeonjangyeon suspects under investigation, 26 have been questioned, and 17 of them have been referred to the prosecution." Earlier, the Namdaemun Police Station in Seoul had sent 11 Jeonjangyeon members to the prosecution without detention on charges including obstruction of business on the 1st of this month. The police plan to conduct supplementary investigations and send the remaining 11 suspects, including those who have not yet appeared for questioning.

Since December of last year, they have been staging protests during the morning commute demanding increased budgets and legislation related to mobility rights for persons with disabilities. They used methods such as blocking train doors with wheelchairs at locations including Samgak Station on lines 4 and 6 in Yongsan-gu near the Presidential Office, causing delays in train departures and disruptions to subway operations.

On the 14th, Jeonjangyeon switched to surprise protests without disclosing their routes after Seoul Metro allowed one train to pass without stopping during the morning commute due to the protests. On that day, from 8 a.m., they conducted a promotional campaign during the morning commute by moving from City Hall Station on Line 1 to National Assembly Station on Line 9. As a result, the operation of one train on Line 1 was suspended, and all passengers on board had to disembark, causing disruptions to the morning train service.

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