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With Korail, Seoul Metro unions set to strike, Seoul and Gyeonggi announce emergency transport measures

Published: 10 Dec. 2025, 17:03 Updated: 11 Dec. 2025, 14:33

Customers wait for the train at Seoul Station in central Seoul on Dec. 10, a day ahead of the planned strike by the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) union. [YONHAP]

Labor unions at both Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) and Seoul Metro will begin their indefinite strikes starting Thursday and Friday, respectively. The Seoul and Gyeonggi governments have announced emergency transport measures to minimize commuter disruption.

According to both governments on Wednesday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will deploy additional city buses on Thursday, the first day of the Korail strike. The city will extend peak-time operations for 344 bus routes by one hour. Morning peak hours, previously from 7 to 9 a.m., will now begin at 6 a.m., and evening peak hours will be extended from 5 to 8 p.m., instead of ending at 7 p.m.

“This change will result in the equivalent of about 2,538 additional bus trips during peak hours,” a city official said.

On Friday, when the Seoul Metro union plans to begin its strike, the city intends to maintain subway operations at 88 percent of normal levels. Subway Lines No. 1 through 8 will run at full capacity during morning rush hours. In the evening, however, only Lines No. 2 and 5 through 8 will operate as usual. The city has secured a workforce of 13,000 people — including non-striking employees and partner company staff — to minimize service disruptions. This amounts to about 80 percent of normal staffing levels.

Separately, a union operating part of Line No. 9 has also announced plans to strike on Thursday. The city said it has secured the minimum personnel required for normal service and expects little to no disruption.

“We are mobilizing every available transportation resource to minimize inconvenience for subway users,” said Yeo Jang-gwon, director of Seoul’s transportation bureau. “We hope that labor and management can reach a swift agreement in the best interest of the public.”

A subway train leaves Seodongtan Station in Osan, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 10, 2025, a day ahead of the planned strike by the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) and Seoul Metro unions. [NEWS1]

Placards placed by the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) union is seen at the Seoul Station in central Seoul on Dec. 10. [YONHAP]

On Wednesday, Gyeonggi established a 24-hour emergency transportation headquarters to operate throughout the strike. Based on the region’s major rail networks, the province will concentrate 3,228 buses on 282 intercity routes between Gyeonggi and Seoul and Gyeonggi and Incheon during peak hours. An additional 2,097 buses will be deployed across 169 local routes. Standby buses will be dispatched to overcrowded routes, and chartered buses will be used if necessary.

In addition, 2,901 buses across 807 village bus routes will extend final service times by one hour in line with differing conditions in 31 cities and counties. The province also plans to deploy additional safety staff at key stations on six lines it manages: Uijeongbu Light Rail, Yongin Light Rail, Gimpo Goldline, the Bucheon segment of Line No. 7, the Hanam Line and the Byeollae Line.

“We will minimize public inconvenience during the rail strike by supporting alternative transport options and ensuring crowd safety at major stations,” said Han Tae-woo, director of rail operations at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-WOOK, CHOI MO-RAN [[email protected]]