Rail Union Strike Today... Commuter Trains and Freight Transport Disruptions Inevitable

Rail Union Demands Expansion of Public Railroads and Full Implementation of 4-Shift 2-Group System
KORAIL Operates High-Speed Trains at 68%, Saemaeul Trains at 58%, and Freight Trains at 27% Levels

The National Railway Workers' Union will carry out a temporary strike for four days from 9 a.m. on the 14th to 9 a.m. on the 18th. This is the first strike by the railway union in four years since November 2019. Once the strike begins, the operation of passenger trains such as the high-speed train (KTX) and freight trains will be reduced by 20-60%, raising concerns about inconvenience to citizens and disruptions in industrial transportation.

On the morning of the 14th, when the National Railway Workers' Union went on strike, citizens hurried to work at Sindorim Station on Seoul Subway Line 1. On this day, the Railway Union announced that the first general strike would begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 9 a.m. on the 18th. This is the first railway union strike in four years since November 2019. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

According to Korail on the 14th, negotiations between Korail and the railway union, which began at 4 p.m. the previous day, focused on issues such as the deployment of KTX to Suseo, full implementation of the 4-shift 2-team system, and wage increases. However, the talks ultimately broke down without narrowing differences. The union plans to hold a general strike rally at noon at Exit 3 of Line 1 at Seoul Station, attended by about 5,000 people, as well as launch ceremonies at five regional headquarters in Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, Yeongju, and Honam.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport activated an emergency transportation countermeasure headquarters on the 13th, headed by Deputy Minister Baek Won-guk. Although it is inevitable to cancel 1,170 train operations during the strike period, the ministry plans to deploy 4,950 substitute personnel, including engineers and crew members, to maximize train operation rates.

For metropolitan trains, the operation rate will be maintained at about 75% of normal levels, but since resolving traffic chaos during commuting hours is important, the rate will be increased to 90% during morning rush hours and 80% during evening rush hours.

In the Seoul metropolitan area including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, the number of metropolitan train operations on Lines 1, 3, and 4, jointly operated with Korail, will be increased by 18 trips per day to reduce congestion. KTX operation rates will also be maintained at 68% (76% including SRT). Tickets booked for the strike period will be canceled without refund fees.

The railway union, which is staging the first strike under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the first in four years, argues that the strike is inevitable to expand railway public services and prevent privatization. They claim that recent government moves, such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport entrusting maintenance of 14 train sets ordered by SR to private companies instead of Korail, are steps toward privatization through railway division.

Choi Myung-ho, chairman of the railway union, said, "This strike is a battle between maintaining a competitive system and expanding public convenience," adding, "The government and management chose to maintain the competitive system rather than public convenience. The strike is inevitable."

The railway union demands include △ operation of KTX to Suseo and expansion of public railways through railway integration △ full implementation of the 4-shift 2-team system △ withdrawal of the introduction of the job-based wage system △ urging sincere negotiations and implementation of agreements.

The union views the expansion of the SRT (Suseo High-Speed Railway) lines operated by SR to Gyeongjeon, Jeolla, and Donghae lines since the 1st as a step toward railway privatization, while weekday operations on the Gyeongbu line have been reduced. The union pointed out, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has reduced up to 4,920 seats per day on the Suseo-Busan route. The inconvenience to citizens is caused by the ministry."

On the other hand, the ministry stated, "We have never considered railway privatization as claimed by the union," and that the integration of KTX and SRT was decided after long discussions to maintain the current competitive system, so the union's demands can be accepted.

With both sides holding opposing positions, there are concerns that the strike could be prolonged.

The railway union said, "If the government sends a message that it will positively review and discuss the three demands raised by the union, we can discuss withdrawing the strike," but the ministry maintains, "Government policy matters outside labor-management negotiations cannot be subjects of negotiation," suggesting that this strike may not end with the first round.

Moreover, the union stated that the general strike starting on the 14th is the "first general strike," and depending on the government's response, a second general strike is also planned, so the strike could continue into next week.

During the 2019 strike, freight train operation rates dropped to 20.7%, causing a logistics crisis. There are concerns that if the strike extends before Chuseok, economic losses due to logistics disruptions could increase.

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