The National Alliance for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeonjangyeon) is staging a protest during the morning commute on the 4th subway line in the metropolitan area. As a result, trains on the 4th line are passing through Namtaeryeong Station without stopping.
Jeonjangyeon staged a protest on the morning of the 5th by slowly boarding subway trains at the Hyehwa Station in Jongno District, Seoul, and at the Namtaeryeong Station in Seocho District, as well as at the Seonbawi Station in Gwacheon City, disrupting the service.
According to the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), about 20 members of Jeonjangyeon boarded a northbound train at Seonbawi Station around 7:51 a.m., blocking the screen doors and causing delays. Simultaneously, they conducted a similar protest on the southbound train towards Dongdaemun Station at Hyehwa Station.
The protesters at Seonbawi Station disembarked the train around 8:32 a.m., but it is reported they continued the protest at the next station, Namtaeryeong Station on the 4th line.
Seoul Transportation Corporation stated on X (formerly Twitter) that "service on the northbound line is bypassing Namtaeryeong Station due to illegal protests by certain disability groups attempting to board the subway." As a result of this protest, trains on the northbound line of the 4th line are experiencing delays of approximately 10 to 40 minutes.
Jeonjangyeon protested on the grounds that the Lee Jae-myung government failed to reflect their demand for a 'Disability Rights Budget.' Jeonjangyeon stated, "Although we urged the Lee Jae-myung administration for the reflection of the disability rights budget since its inception, Minister Koo Yun-cheol sent the budget proposal to the National Assembly without including it in the government budget," and claimed, "This budget proposal is a 'budget with holes in the disability mobility rights.'"
On the same day at 11 a.m., Jeonjangyeon will hold a press conference in Yeouido to evaluate the 2026 government budget proposal and plans to deliver their demands to the offices of major political parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party.
Seoul Transportation Corporation issued a prior notice stating, "The protest by a specific disability group on the 4th subway line is anticipated to cause significant delays in train operations, and some stations may implement non-stop passes."