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Subways overwhelmed, commuters stranded as Busan bus drivers go on strike

Published: 28 May. 2025, 13:47

A Busan Transportation Corporation employee controls the crowd at Seomyeon Station, Busan’s busiest subway interchange, on May 28. [JOONGANG ILBO]

While Seoul commuters moved through their usual morning rush hour relatively unscathed, Busan descended into turmoil on Wednesday as city bus drivers launched their first-ever full-scale strike, overwhelming the subway system and stranding thousands in search of alternative transportation.

The full-scale bus strike involved 2,517 city buses across 147 routes.

“If you stay in this passageway, you might get swept up in the crowd and get hurt,” shouted a Busan Transportation Corporation employee at Seomyeon Station — Busan’s busiest interchange connecting subway lines No. 1 and 2.

The strike triggered what commuters described as a “war to get to work,” particularly at Seomyeon Station, which sees around 110,000 daily users.

With 18.8 percent of public transit in Busan usually handled by buses, and subways carrying 19 percent, the closure shifted the burden heavily onto the rail system.

Congestion at Seomyeon Station began about 30 minutes earlier than usual, with crowd density reaching two to three times the normal levels.

Commuters turn to bikes, scooters

Office workers and students were hit hardest.

The city's deployment of 200 free chartered buses — just under 10 percent of the city bus fleet — was insufficient to absorb the surge in demand.

The bus rapid transit lane in front of Busanjin Station in Busan, stands empty on May 28 as city buses in the region go on full strike following a breakdown in labor negotiations. [JOONGANG ILBO]

“I was worried about being late, so I opened the taxi app on my phone, but it said there were no taxis nearby," a high school student surnamed Choi said at a bus transfer center.

Choi eventually mounted a shared bicycle with a friend and pedaled quickly toward school with other commuters also turning to shared bicycles and electric scooters to get to their destinations.

Roots of the strike

Since the semi-public bus system was introduced in Busan in May 2007, this is the first time that all city buses have gone on strike.

The strike stems from two primary labor demands. One involves incorporating regular bonuses into base wages, following a Supreme Court ruling last year.

Buses sit parked at the Yeonje Public Bus Depot in Busan on May 28 as city buses in the region go on full strike following a breakdown in labor negotiations. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The other is a union request for an 8.2 percent wage increase. Employers rejected both.

“Reflecting the bonus into base pay already results in a natural 9 percent wage increase,” an official from the Busan Bus Transport Association said. “Adding another 8.2 percent would bankrupt most bus companies.”

Final negotiations between the labor union and management began at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at the Busan Labor Commission but ended without agreement.

"The union claimed that while the commission proposed a compromise reflecting the court ruling, both the city and the companies rejected it," the union said. “The responsibility for the strike lies with the Busan city government,”

Busan has initiated emergency transportation measures, with the chartered buses operating from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. until the strike ends.

Subway and light rail operating hours have been extended by an hour, with 50 additional weekday trips.

But the cost burden is high, as operating a single chartered bus costs 1.3 million won ($945) per day, translating to 260 million won daily for 200 buses.

Limited transit options in Changwon

The impact was more severe in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, where buses are the only mode of public transportation.

“I got to the stop 40 minutes earlier than usual to catch the first emergency bus at 6 a.m. I was nervous because the app didn’t show any arrival times," Park, a sophomore at a high school in Seongsan District, said. "My friends were panicking in our group chat, saying they’d be late.”

Park's commute, which usually takes 40 minutes, took over an hour.

“I’m also worried about how I’ll get home,” Park said.

Outside schools, groups of three or four students arrived together in taxis or their parents’ cars.

A high school student rides to school in a parent’s car in Changwon, South Gyeongsang on May 28. [JOONGANG ILBO]

“Normally, I pay 1,900 won for the bus, but today my taxi cost 6,300 won," a freshman surnamed Gu said. "I think I’ll have to walk home.”

Many people waited anxiously for emergency vehicles at Changwon’s bus stops,

“I left 10 minutes early, but the bus still hasn’t come. I’m anxious about being late," Kim said around 7:30 a.m. while waiting at a bus stop. "City buses are essential for us. I’m worried this strike might last long. We can only wait and hope both sides compromise.”

Most bus stops in Changwon displayed two notices on A4 sheets of paper titled “Bus operation notice due to strike” and “Emergency operation schedule.”

But that did not resolve anything.

“These notices don’t tell me when my bus is coming,” one commuter said angrily.

Of Changwon’s 669 city buses, 95 percent stopped operating due to the strike. The city responded by dispatching 170 chartered buses, 10 official-use buses and 330 rental taxis. But the replacement services only cover 42 percent of normal weekday bus capacity.

“Bus management and labor will resume negotiations at 2 p.m. today," a Changwon city official said. "We are doing our best to facilitate dialogue and fully implement our emergency transport measures to minimize inconvenience.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM MIN-JU, AN DAE-HUN [[email protected]]