Seoul Metro to block disability advocacy group's subway protests

Social Affairs

Published: 23 Nov. 2023, 13:02

Seoul Metro to block disability advocacy group's subway protests

Subway protest staged by Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination [Seoul Metro]

Seoul Metro will ban rush-hour subway protests.

The operator said Thursday it devised three-step measures to block protests at a meeting on Tuesday after disability advocacy group Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) resumed its protest on Monday.

The measures include blocking the group's entry into the subway station, restricting attempts to get on board by disabling the platform doors and taking legal actions against illegalities.

"The new measures are different from the past approaches as they will shut out any possibilities of carrying out protests in subway stations or on subway cars. Based on a zero-tolerance principle, Seoul Metro will protect civilians' safety from disordered activities such as subway protests," Seoul Metro CEO Baek Ho said.

SADD has been holding protests at major subway stations in Seoul during rush hour since January 2021.

Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination resumes its subway protest at City Hall Station on line No. 2 on Monday. [MOON HEE-CHUL, JOONGANG PHOTO]

Its latest rally took place at City Hall Station on line No. 2 on Monday, its first after a two-month hiatus.

Seoul Metro asked the police to help protect its facilities and block attempts at staging rallies at all its subway stations.

"The set of measures is based on the proactive readings of the law that governs assembly and demonstration. The operator has never tried this approach," a Seoul Metro official said.

"Once these measures are in place along with the police force's protection, the protesting at subways can be impossible," the official added.

In Korea, law enforcement authorities can ban or restrict protests or rallies if there's a request for protection by an occupant or a managing party of the rally's site.

Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination carries out protest at Gwanghwamun Station on April 21. [YONHAP]

Seoul Metro plans to prevent protestors from boarding subway cars. It also plans to have trains pass through stations where protests hamper normal operations.

The subway operator also plans to record protests to gather evidence for illegal actions.

The operator filed criminal complaints against SADD five times and sued for damages three times since the protests began in 2021.

According to Seoul Metro, the group has carried out 471 protests since 2021, and 92 caused service disruptions. It said the total financial loss incurred by the protest amounts to 780 million won ($601,207), and delays over 86 hours and 33 minutes have been caused by the protests.

Between Monday and Tuesday, Seoul Metro's customer service center received 139 complaints about the protest on Monday.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]