Minister Won Hee-ryong: "Railroad Union Is a Place to Protect, Not a Political Struggle but the Railroad Field"

On the 14th, Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, urged the members of the National Railway Workers' Union (Railway Union) to return to work amid their strike.

On the morning of the same day, Minister Won posted on Facebook a message titled "The Owner of the Railway is the People." He wrote, "The place the Railway Union must protect is not a battlefield for political struggles but the railway site that safeguards the daily lives of the people," and urged, "Return to the site immediately."

The Railway Union launched a general strike from 9 a.m. that day, demanding the introduction of KTX to Suseo, the suspension of the high-speed railway operation competition system and the halt of the review of 'railway privatization,' as well as the full implementation of the 4-shift 2-team system.

In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "Government policy matters cannot be subjects of negotiation," and added, "Forcing a strike to enforce unilateral demands is not a mature attitude."

Han Moon-hee, President of Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), issued a public apology, saying, "The strike lacks legitimacy as it centers on government policy issues that cannot be resolved through negotiations," and added, "We will strictly respond to all illegal acts according to law and principles."

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