Seoul city and metro express no tolerance for resumption of subway protests

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Seoul city and metro express no tolerance for resumption of subway protests

Published: 19 Jan. 2023, 19:06

Members of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) hold signs urging the government to increase spending on mobility for disabled people in Hyehwa Station, central Seoul, on Thursday morning. [YONHAP]

The city of Seoul and Seoul Metro said Thursday that they will not tolerate a resumption of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) protests, scheduled for Friday, calling for the SADD to meet with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and other advocacy groups for people with disabilities.

A meeting between the city of Seoul and the SADD was originally scheduled for 4 p.m. on Thursday, until the SADD called off the meeting the same morning, according to the city government's statement.

The metropolitan government and Seoul Metro have communicated with SADD five times so far to coordinate the meeting, but all five attempts ended in vain as as they failed to agree upon the conditions.

The SADD has been asking for a one-on-one meeting with Oh, but the city of Seoul insisted on a joint meeting with other advocacy groups for people with disabilities.

The city of Seoul said in its statement that it will no longer tolerate a certain advocacy group's attempts to accomplish its goals using the metro as a means of protest.

"It is paradoxical that the SADD, which claims to advocate for the rights of the people with disabilities, refuses to meet with other advocacy groups for the disabled," the city said.

As the capital called on the SADD to join a meeting to discuss the rights of the people with disabilities, the Seoul Metro also announced a statement requesting the SADD to cease its protest scheduled for Friday.

The SADD has announced plans to resume its protests at 8 a.m. on Friday in Oido Station, 9 a.m. in Seoul Station and 2 p.m. in Samgakji Station.

SADD members have protested 82 times between Jan. 22, 2021, and Jan. 3, 2023, interrupting Seoul Metro's operation for a total of 84 hours. A total of 9,337 civil complaints were submitted due to the delays.

SADD protests involve its members in wheelchairs obstructing subway doors and halting its operations.

BY HAN JEE-HYE and NA UN-CHAE [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]