At 8 a.m. on the 13th at Sadang Station on Seoul Subway Line 2. It is a place that is crowded with commuters even on ordinary days, but this day there was not even room to stand on the platform. Trains pulled in every two to five minutes, but more passengers flowed onto the platform than boarded the trains. Because of this, the waiting line stretched beyond the platform into the transfer corridor.

Office worker Kwon, 31, said, "I didn't know the impact of the bus strike would be this big," and noted, "On my commute today I literally experienced 'hell subway.'"

At about 8:50 a.m. on the 13th at Sadang Station on Seoul Subway Line 4, commuters line up for roughly 100 meters to transfer from Line 4 to the Line 2 platform. Escalators are shut down over safety concerns. /Courtesy of Lee Ho-jun

As the Seoul city bus labor union began an indefinite, full strike on the 13th, commuters were left stranded. With people who had been waiting for buses turning to the subway all at once, there were many cases where passengers could not board the trains.

Starting at 4 a.m. that day, most of the roughly 7,300 Seoul city buses stopped running. This was because wage and collective bargaining talks between the Seoul City Bus Labor Union of the Federation of Korean Automobile Workers' Unions, which includes all 64 Seoul city bus companies, and management at the Seoul Bus Transport Business Association ultimately broke down.

At about 7:00 a.m. on the 13th at a bus stop near Noryangjin Station on Seoul Subway Line 9, an electronic display that normally shows arrival times says no buses are arriving. /Courtesy of Lee Ho-jun

◇Buses at a standstill, empty stops

Around 7 a.m., the area in front of a bus stop near Noryangjin Station in Dongjak District was unusually quiet. The electronic sign kept repeating a notice that all city buses except village buses were "at the depot." Notices were posted throughout the stop saying, "Due to the strike, city bus operations are suspended or delays in intervals are expected."

Citizens who had not yet heard news of the strike could not hide their bewilderment. Choi, 62, who said an early start was needed for a hospital appointment, sighed and said, "I can't get a taxi and the subway doesn't go near the hospital, so I'm at a loss as to how to get there."

The crush of people heading to subway stations pushed trains to their limits. An office worker met at Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3, a person surnamed Park, said, "At this time I usually get a seat, but it felt like three times as many people as usual showed up."

At about 7:50 a.m. on the 13th, the platform at Seoul Station on Seoul Subway Line 1 is packed with people waiting for trains. /Courtesy of Kim Gwan-rae

The Seoul city government decided to add 172 subway runs during commuting hours to reduce congestion caused by the bus strike. It also decided to extend peak-direction operations by one hour from current levels, expanding them to 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

◇Subway stations are war zones… 60 people in line per car

However, as many bus riders shifted to the subway, major hub stations turned chaotic. Around 8 a.m., the platform at Sadang Station on Line 2 was packed with hundreds of people. With 60 people lining up for each car, the platform filled to capacity.

At Sadang Station, Seoul Metro employees in fluorescent vests waved light batons to control the crowd. An announcement repeatedly said, "Due to platform congestion, please line up in four lines."

An official with the corporation said, "Passenger numbers are up by 20% to 30% compared with usual," and explained, "We are focusing on preventing safety accidents due to the high level of platform congestion."

At the same time, the platform at Seoul Station on Line 1 was more crowded than usual. As the platform filled, there were cases where waiting passengers could not board. An office worker, a person surnamed Kim, 32, said, "I didn't know there was a strike today and waited endlessly for a bus," and added, "I rushed to the subway fearing I'd be late, but it wasn't easy to get on the train."

At 7:43 a.m. on the 13th, a service status board in the transfer area at Seoul Station on Seoul Subway Line 1 shows train operations. With the Seoul city bus strike, the number of subway runs increases. Despite more trains than usual, platforms are crowded as former bus riders converge. /Courtesy of Kim Gwan-rae

◇Labor and management at odds over size of wage hike… concerns over prolonged standoff

Some citizens chose to drive or work from home because of the bus strike. An office worker who commutes from Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, to Gangnam District, a person surnamed Kim, 43, said, "I used my car due to the bus strike, but roads refroze as the melted snow hardened again, making driving difficult." Another office worker, a person surnamed Nam, 28, said, "Hearing about the bus strike, I thought commuting would be difficult, so I asked my company for understanding and switched to working from home."

There are also concerns that if the strike drags on, the inconvenience will worsen. The union is demanding a 3% wage increase, excluding additional pay related to recognizing ordinary wages. Management counters that if wages are raised as the union demands and ordinary wages are also recognized, it would effectively result in nearly a 20% wage increase. Labor and management have not yet set an additional bargaining schedule, but are expected to continue behind-the-scenes contacts.

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