Negotiations over wages between the Seoul city bus union and Seoul city broke down, leading bus drivers to launch a "lawful struggle" starting from the first bus on the 30th. They are not striking but are committed to operating safely according to the manual, although some bus drivers still departed before passengers were seated.
According to the Seoul city government on the 30th, the Seoul City Bus Labor Union (Seoul city bus union) declared a breakdown in negotiations with the Seoul City Bus Transport Business Association around 2 a.m. on the same day. The parties had been negotiating for nine hours since around 6 p.m. the previous day but failed to reach an agreement.
Accordingly, the Seoul city bus union began its lawful struggle from the first bus at 4 a.m. on the same day. This form of protest encourages delays by ensuring that passengers tap their transportation cards and are seated before departure or by avoiding speeding. Fortunately, a strike was avoided for the second consecutive year. This is the first time the union chose a lawful struggle as a form of dispute.
If bus drivers engage in a lawful struggle, the interval between buses may increase, and the average speed of city buses may drop, raising concerns about congestion for citizens commuting to work. However, citizens encountered on city buses or at bus stops that morning responded that they did not experience significant inconvenience. The commute was already slow due to heavy traffic, so buses often could not maintain their pace.
Around 8 a.m. on the same day, an office worker named Lee (34) met at the Seoul Station Bus Transfer Center and said, "I woke up 1 to 2 hours earlier than usual because of the bus strike, but when I heard it had turned into a lawful struggle, I left home at the usual time." He noted, "I didn't notice any differences while taking the bus." An office worker named Huh (36), met at the Yeouido Bus Transfer Center around 7:30 a.m., said, "Are they currently engaged in a lawful struggle?" and added, "I didn't feel any significant differences on the bus."
However, citizens who anticipated congestion on city buses flocked to the subway, making trains more crowded than usual. Around 8 a.m. at the Seoul Subway Line 1 platform at Seoul Station, an announcement was made stating, "Due to the bus industry's lawful struggle, the subway station may be congested, so we ask customers to move in an orderly manner."
Around 8:30 a.m., a person named Jo (25) met at Yeouido Station and said, "I commute from Gangbuk to Yeouido. I should be able to sit, but today there were too many people, so I couldn’t sit." Jo added, "It seemed like there were about 30% more passengers than usual." An office worker named Nam (26), who met at Gangnam Station on Subway Line 2, said, "It felt like there were more passengers on the train than usual. Between Hanyang University Station and Seongsu Station, there were about 50% more passengers."
The bus traveling from Noryangjin to Yeouido did not depart until all passengers had completely boarded and disembarked. The driver, Lee (55), announced as the doors were closing, "I will close the doors." Lee noted, "I am participating in the lawful struggle," adding, "The bus interval might increase. For now, we are operating while complying with the regulations."
However, not all bus drivers operated safely. A person named Park (29), who took a bus heading to Seoul Station near Gyeongbokgung, said, "As I was walking to sit down on the bus, it immediately closed the doors and departed."
As soon as the city bus union began its lawful struggle, the Seoul city government activated emergency transportation measures, extending the operation hours of the subway during peak commuting hours from 7-9 a.m. to 7-10 a.m., and increased the number of trains on Subway Lines 1 through 8 and the Uiwisunseol Line by 47 trips. The 25 districts of Seoul are operating free shuttle buses to allow residents to quickly access subway stations.