Court Proposes "Seoul City to Install Elevators, Jeonjangyeon Prohibited from Delays Over 5 Minutes"

Members of the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities held a press conference on the 5th at Samgak Station on Subway Line 4 in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, urging the expansion of the budget for disability rights. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Regarding the conflict between Seoul Metro and the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeonjangyeon) over subway boarding and alighting protests, the court presented compulsory mediation conditions such as 'installation of elevators' and 'cessation of protests' to both parties.

According to the legal community on the 21st, the Seoul Central District Court made this compulsory mediation decision on the 19th regarding the damages claim lawsuit filed by Seoul Metro against Jeonjangyeon and its representative Park Kyung-seok.

The mediation proposal reportedly includes, "Seoul Metro regrets the deaths of persons with disabilities that have occurred so far and will install elevators by 2024 in 19 subway stations out of 275 Seoul subway stations where elevator routes have not yet been secured," and "Jeonjangyeon regrets the damage caused by protests that delay train operations so far and will cease protests that delay train operations except for the agreed methods."

Additionally, Jeonjangyeon agreed not to conduct protests that delay train operations for more than 5 minutes, and if violated, to pay 5 million KRW per occurrence.

Civil mediation is a procedure to resolve disputes without a judgment. If either party raises an objection to the compulsory mediation within two weeks, the mediation fails and the trial reopens. If no objection is raised, the compulsory mediation content has the same effect as a final judgment.

Both parties have not yet decided whether to raise objections.

Earlier, Seoul Metro filed a lawsuit claiming 30 million KRW, stating that the seven subway protests conducted by Jeonjangyeon from January 22 to November 12 last year were illegal acts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.