Baekho, President of Seoul Metro, Praised for Unwavering Leadership

Since President Baekho's inauguration, he has demonstrated firm leadership by strictly applying the no work, no pay principle to strikers and strongly responding to Jeonjangyeon protests, earning widespread trust for upholding the principle that no one is above the citizens.

President Baekho

Since Baekho's appointment as president of Seoul Metro, the company has drawn attention for its firm response to strikes and protests by Jeonjangyeon (National Solidarity for the Elimination of Disability Discrimination).

In particular, President Baekho has established a company management policy based on principles since his inauguration, maintaining a stance of no compromise with any illegal activities, earning positive evaluations not only from Seoul citizens but also from Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who holds the appointment authority.

◇ Application of the no work, no pay principle to strike participants results in wage cuts exceeding 700 million won

On the 22nd, President Baekho announced and implemented a strict response policy applying the no work, no pay principle to all union strike participants and adopting a zero-tolerance approach to illegal acts.

The company decided to deduct over 700 million won from the December salaries of 4,470 members of Union 1 who participated in the first strike. The same principle will be strictly applied to all participants if a second strike occurs, enforcing no work, no pay without exception.

President Baekho stated, "Regarding the unilateral strike by Union 1, which lacks support from internal employees, we will apply the no work, no pay principle without exception during the strike period in accordance with laws and principles," adding, "We will strictly enforce a zero-tolerance policy and take stern measures against illegal acts such as train operation obstruction or delays." He further said, "We will continue dialogue with the labor union to minimize inconvenience to citizens."

◇ Strong measures to completely block Jeonjangyeon protests

The company declared the highest level of response regarding protests by Jeonjangyeon, stating, "We will completely block entry to prevent protests in the subway."

Since the 20th, as Jeonjangyeon resumed protests in the Seoul subway, the company has implemented a three-stage strong response including blocking station entry, restricting boarding by suspending platform screen door operations upon entry attempts, and taking legal action against all illegal activities.

Jeonjangyeon resumed protests after about two months since their last demonstration at City Hall Station on Line 2 on September 25.

The company first requested police protection of facilities to prohibit or restrict assemblies and protests in all subway stations and trains. According to the Assembly and Demonstration Act, if residents or managers request protection of facilities or places, prohibitions or restrictions on assemblies or protests can be notified. Additionally, if Jeonjangyeon attempts to board with the intent to delay subway operations, the company plans to cooperate with police to prevent boarding. If protests continue despite repeated suppression, trains will pass through the relevant stations without stopping. To ensure smooth on-site response, all subway security officers will be deployed along with numerous support personnel including station and headquarters staff.

President Baekho said, "This measure will have a significantly stronger effect than before by completely blocking entry to prevent protests in the subway," and added, "During my term, I will definitely protect citizens' safety from protests, villains, and disorderly conduct occurring in the subway."

By establishing and implementing firm principles against illegal strikes by company employees and illegal protests by external forces, the company is receiving very positive responses from Seoul citizens.

A Seoul citizen, Mr. A, commented, "The Seoul subway is the lifeline not only for 10 million Seoul citizens but also for 20 million metropolitan area residents. It is absolutely undesirable to engage in illegal acts just because their demands are not met," and evaluated, "Since President Baekho took office at Seoul Metro, the company has clearly changed for the better and is trustworthy."

A company official said, "Since President Baekho's appointment, he has shown firm leadership, and despite difficult management conditions, the company seems to be on the right track."

It is also known that Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who appointed President Baekho, has actively supported these internal and external evaluations.

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