Seoul Metro files damage suit against advocacy group for subway protests

Social Affairs

Published: 10 Jan. 2023, 14:33 Updated: 10 Jan. 2023, 14:34

Seoul Metro files damage suit against advocacy group for subway protests

Park Kyoung-seok, head of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, sits at a platform in Hyehwa Station, line No. 4, on Jan. 5, protesting for a bigger budget to protect the rights of people with disabilities. [NEWS1]

Seoul Metro, the operator of the capital's subways, filed a damage suit against an advocacy group for people with disabilities related to its morning rush hour protests, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday.

The metro company asked for compensation worth 601.45 million won ($484,000) for the 75 subway protests staged by the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) that caused delays in the metro's operation for the past year, filing the suit with the Seoul Central District Court on Friday.

The lawsuit follows Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s firm stance saying “there will be no more generosity toward illegality" last month.

The protests were halted for nearly two weeks last month after the Seoul Central District Court handed down a ruling on the dispute, ordering the SADD to pay Seoul Metro 5 million won for every five-minute delay it causes in subway operations. In the same verdict, the court advised the SADD to stop its subway protests and Seoul Metro to install more elevators at 19 subway stations by 2024.

After the verdict, SADD said it would limit its protests to under five minutes and refrain from any actions that would cause delays in subway operations.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Seoul Metro responded that they wouldn’t accept the court’s mediation, saying any delay in subway operations was a non-starter.

The SADD resumed protests on Jan 2., but said last Wednesday that they will suspend their subway protests again until Jan. 19 and requested a meeting with Oh.

Until Jan. 19, members of the SADD will only stage protests at a platform in Hyehwa Station, line No. 4, without getting on the subway to disrupt operations. It will resume its morning rush hour protests on Jan. 20 if Oh refuses to meet, according to the SADD.

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