SADD rush-hour subway protest blocked by police, Seoul Metro employees

Members of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) are blocked by the police at Samgakji Station in central Seoul on Monday. [SOLIDARITY AGAINST DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION]

A rush-hour subway protest, staged by members of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) on the first working day of 2023, was stopped by police and Seoul Metro employees.

SADD members planned to protest at Samgakji Station line No.4, but could not get on the subway Monday morning as the police and workers from the Seoul Metro stood blocked the doors.

As of 11 a.m., the members were still being blocked from getting on the subway.

A day earlier, SADD announced they would protest at the Samgakji Station line No. 4 from Monday to Tuesday.

The SADD members said Monday that they would abide by a ruling from a local court which stated disruptions of subway service were not permitted for more than five minutes. Those who do not follow this ruling will be subject to a fine of 5 million won (3,940 dollars).

The group has often disrupted the subway flow for commuters going to or leaving work through its demonstrations, which include preventing the subway from moving forward by wedging wheelchairs between the platform and the train so that the doors can't close.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the same day that the matter will be dealt with in line with a "zero tolerance principle," inferring some legal actions will be taken against the subway-delaying protests.

Oh added "it does not make sense that subways could be delayed for five minutes" as delaying a minute only would affect so many.

SADD resumed its protest after a two-week suspension from Dec. 20. They are protesting the budget bill set for people with disabilities recently passed by the parliament, which only includes a part of what they had demanded. The group had called for an increase in the budget by 1.3 trillion won, but the parliament approved 10.6 billion won.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]