The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 10th it will push emergency transport measures in preparation for strikes by the Korean Railway Workers' Union (Railway Union) and the Seoul Metro labor union (Metro union).
The Railway Union has warned it will strike starting on the 11th if talks with management break down. The Metro union also plans to launch a strike on the 12th if negotiations fall apart.
In response, the city said it would proactively set up an emergency transport countermeasure headquarters and prepare scenario-based measures.
First, to minimize inconvenience to residents during commutes and other trips, the city will deploy every possible alternative transport option.
Starting with the morning rush hour on the 11th, the city will add buses and other alternatives to expand capacity. On 344 regular city bus routes, the rush-hour concentration intervals will be extended by one hour each compared to usual. Morning rush-hour concentration will be moved up by one hour to 6–9 a.m., and evening rush hour will be extended by one hour to 5–8 p.m. The city expects this will have the effect of adding about 2,538 trips during rush hours.
Operating hours for Squirrel Buses and Companion Buses during rush hours will also be extended by one hour. On 17 routes, Squirrel Buses will add 55 trips, and on 20 routes, Companion Buses will add 83 trips.
Even if the Metro union strikes on the 12th, subways will run at 100% on lines 1–8 during the morning rush hour from 7 to 9 a.m. During the evening rush hour from 6 to 8 p.m., line 2 and lines 5–8 are also slated to operate normally. The city plans to maintain an overall operating rate of about 88%.
Line 9 will operate normally as usual. Although unions for sections 2 and 3 of line 9 have warned of a strike, the city has secured the minimum staffing required for normal service.
The city will also prepare for a scenario in which the Railway Union and the Metro union strike at the same time. For city buses, all reserve and short-turn vehicles that are currently idle will be deployed on 161 routes, adding a total of 1,422 trips compared with usual.
For the subway, five emergency trainsets will be placed on standby on lines 2, 3, and 4 during the evening rush hour and deployed immediately as needed to ease congestion on trains and in stations. According to the city, even if the Railway Union and the Metro union strike simultaneously, the operating rate is expected to remain above 90% in the morning rush hour and above 80% in the evening rush hour.
Yeo Jang-gwon, head of the city's Transportation Bureau, said, "We are making every effort, including mobilizing all possible transport capacity before the strike, to minimize inconvenience for subway users," adding, "We hope labor and management reach an agreement quickly with citizens in mind first, and we will do our best to normalize subway operations."