Seoul Metro labor and management have yet to find common ground as of the 12th, the day a general strike was announced. If talks collapse, subway Lines 1 through 9 are expected to be disrupted starting with the early-morning commute a few hours later.
The company and the first union, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Seoul Metro Union, opened the fifth round of main talks on wages and the collective agreement at about 1 p.m. on the 11th in the main conference room at headquarters in Seongdong District, Seoul. Afterward, the second and third unions also entered the main talks in turn.
However, the two sides failed to find common ground over the size of hiring and other issues, and declared a recess around 1:40 p.m. Since then, they have not been able to resume talks past midnight and are only conducting working-level consultations based on a proposed agreement.
The union argues that the Seoul city government is pushing workforce cuts and has halted new hiring, which will cause serious gaps in operations, and says more than 1,000 hires are needed. Management counters that the number of new hires approved by the city is 289, so adjustments are needed.
If talks break down, a general strike will begin with the first trains at dawn. The Seoul city government decided to implement emergency transport measures to prepare for a rush-hour traffic crunch. During the morning commute, Lines 1 through 8 will operate at 100% of normal service, and during the evening commute, all lines except Lines 1, 3 and 4 will operate normally, with an overall operating rate of 88% to be maintained.
Considering commuters traveling to and from the greater Seoul area, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon city also prepared emergency transport measures and moved to secure alternative transportation.