Oh Se-hoon: "Subway and Buses in Deficit... Call for Management Efficiency and Essential Public Service Designation"

100th-Day Press Briefing for the 9th Mayoral Administration
"Constant Pursuit of Management Rationalization... The Company's Inevitable Duty"
Stressing the Need to Designate City Buses as Essential Public Services

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon emphasized the need for improved management efficiency and institutional reform in response to growing concerns over potential public inconvenience caused by union conflicts and possible strikes affecting the Seoul subway and city buses.

At a press conference held at Seoul City Hall on October 7, 2026, marking the 100th day since the launch of the 9th popularly elected administration, Mayor Oh stated, "Seoul Metro's fares are low by international standards, allowing citizens to use the service at a low cost, but the deficit is substantial. Clearly, reducing expenses is a necessary option."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is responding to reporters' questions at a press conference marking his 100th day in office held at Seoul City Hall on October 7, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

Mayor Oh also pointed out that after the integration of subway lines 1-4 with other routes under the previous administration, rationalizing management has become essential. "When two organizations merge, overlapping staff and work functions should be reduced, but staffing levels have barely decreased," he said, emphasizing, "Reducing headcount and pursuing efficiency are obvious and legitimate public demands."

He continued, "It may be burdensome from the union's perspective, but a compromise must be sought. The authority for such decisions lies with the president of Seoul Metro, and it is the company's duty to make continual efforts for rationalized management."

Addressing the recurring issue of city bus strikes, Mayor Oh reiterated concerns about the negative financial structure and wage burden. "It's clear that city buses are also incurring significant deficits," he said. "According to public assessments, driver salaries are already considerable, yet there are repeated strike announcements demanding higher annual pay." He also noted that, following the Supreme Court's ruling on ordinary wages, there is a possibility of wage increases exceeding 10 percentage points, predicting, "Strike notices are likely to become frequent going forward."

Mayor Oh highlighted the lack of sufficient legal measures to minimize public inconvenience during bus strikes, stressing the need to designate bus services as essential public businesses.

He noted, "The subway is designated as an essential public service, which means public inconvenience can largely be mitigated—but there are far more communities where buses are the primary mode of transport, especially for vulnerable groups. Despite buses serving areas not covered by the subway, the government has not considered designating them as essential public businesses." He continued, "It feels like hitting a wall," adding, "Since all inconvenience from strikes ultimately falls on citizens, I maintain the position that a more forward-looking review is still needed."

Mayor Oh repeatedly underscored that, amid ongoing conflicts in the transportation sector, improved management efficiency and institutional reforms are key to minimizing inconvenience for the public. He concluded, "We need consensus from citizens," stressing that deliberations on designating essential public businesses should no longer be postponed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.