Nationwide railway strike disrupts KTX and subway services

[Anchor]

The national railway union has declared a breakdown in negotiations and has entered an indefinite general strike starting today (12.5).

As a result, there have been disruptions in the operation of KTX and metropolitan trains, causing inconvenience to passengers.

Reporter Choi Kwang-ho has the story.

[Report]

["Resolve wage arrears immediately! (Resolve it, resolve it.)"]

The railway union has begun an indefinite general strike today.

For the past four months, negotiations between labor and management have been ongoing regarding basic salary increases and performance bonuses, but no common ground has been found.

[Choi Myung-ho/Korean Railway Workers' Union Chairman: "How can we, railway workers, remain silent when our wages are being cut and the safety of citizens is being threatened?"]

From the first day of the strike, train operations have been disrupted.

The electronic display at Seoul Station continues to show notices of train service interruptions.

["Some train services are suspended or delayed."]

Many passengers felt confusion due to the cancellation of scheduled trips.

[Jung Cheol-woo/Seoul Dobong-gu: "I bought my ticket a week ago, but because of the railway strike today, that train won't be running...."]

[Jo Ah-young/Seoul Yeongdeungpo-gu: "I don't have any other suitable options yet, so if the train doesn't run, I guess I'll have to look for other transportation like buses, even if it means being late...."]

On the first day of the strike, the train operation rate was 77% as of 3 PM, with disruptions affecting KTX, regular passenger trains, and some lines of the metropolitan subway operated by Korail.

[Ahn Jae-jin/Seoul Guro-gu: "It seems natural from their perspective, but from the citizens' standpoint, it's quite inconvenient. I hope it gets resolved quickly."]

As the strike prolongs, the operation rate is expected to drop further.

Currently, most of the 4,500 substitute workers deployed are unskilled personnel such as soldiers and office workers, which means fatigue levels are likely to increase as the strike continues.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has urged the resumption of labor-management negotiations and stated that it will secure alternative transportation capacity, such as buses, to the maximum extent possible.

This is KBS News, Choi Kwang-ho.