Midnight Deal Saves Seoul: Bus Strike Collapses, 7,018 Buses Roll at Dawn

Seoul’s city bus services are set to return to normal from the first bus on January 15 after labor and management reached a last-minute agreement, bringing an end to a two-day strike that disrupted commuting across the capital. The Seoul City Bus Labor Union and the Seoul City Bus Transport Association finalized a wage and collective agreement shortly before midnight on January 14, following more than nine hours of negotiations at a special mediation meeting held by the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission in Yeongdeungpo. With the agreement in place, all 7,018 city buses that had been on strike since January 13 will resume full operations, easing transportation difficulties during peak commuting hours.

Under the agreement, the two sides settled on a 2.9% increase in base pay for next year, a figure higher than the initial mediation proposal of 0.5% but slightly below the union’s original demand of 3.0%. The mandatory retirement age for bus drivers, currently set at 63, will be extended in stages, increasing to 64 from July this year and to 65 from July next year, partially reflecting the union’s request for a higher retirement age. Regarding the Seoul city government’s bus operation inspection system, which the union had called for abolishing, labor, management, and the city agreed to form a joint task force to continue discussions at a later date. Meanwhile, restructuring of the wage system related to the inclusion of ordinary wages, a key point of contention over the past year following Supreme Court rulings, was excluded from this round of negotiations at the union’s request.

Speaking after the deal was reached, Park Jeom-gon, head of the Seoul City Bus Labor Union, apologized to citizens for the inconvenience caused by the strike and expressed gratitude that an agreement was reached despite the late hour. Kim Jeong-hwan, chairman of the Seoul City Bus Transport Association, also welcomed the outcome, saying it was fortunate that the negotiations concluded successfully and pledging continued efforts to further develop Seoul’s city bus system. The dramatic settlement brought immediate relief to Seoul residents, restoring normal public transportation operations just hours before the morning commute.