Seoul to make subway trains not stop if necessary over protests by disabled advocacy group

SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) — The Seoul metropolitan government said Monday it will make subway trains not stop at a station if necessary, amid planned subway riding protests by a disabled advocacy group to demand better mobility rights.

Demanding measures to improve their rights to free movement and budget for disability rights, the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) has been staging subway protests since late last year, boarding subway trains with a throng of wheelchair-bound members and causing delays in metro services during the morning rush hour.

The SADD has planned to stage such demonstrations at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Monday to Thursday at the Samgakji subway station.

“From the morning of the 13th, the city government decided to apply the policy of passing through Samgakji Station without stopping,” an official at the Seoul city government said.

However, the city government will only allow subway trains to pass through the station without stopping if the protest causes a serious delay in subway services, the official said.