Will wheelchair subway protests emerge as key variable in June local elections?
Subway protests by a rights group for people with disabilities could become a key election issue, with the group halting protests following a meeting with one of the candidates to run for mayor on the ruling party's ticket.
On Wednesday, Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination leader Park Kyung-seok said protests to disrupt subway traffic during rush hours would be put on hold until the June local elections. The group has organized protests in Seoul's subway stations on nearly 1,000 days since December 2021.
The announcement was a U-turn from Tuesday, when the group said it would not consent to requests from ruling Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Kim Young-bae to halt the protests, or to initiate dialogue with the party's candidates for Seoul mayor, including Kim himself.
"After internally discussing Kim's request, SADD decided to accept (Kim's) request with the same heart," Park said in a press conference at Hyehwa Station on Subway Line No. 4.
Park added that SADD's mobility rights demands would be discussed with the Democratic Party's mayoral candidates during the dialogue scheduled for Friday morning at the National Assembly.
"We will explain what we demanded during subway protests, what the mayor of Seoul should be responsible for, and what our policy proposals are," Park said.
The activists' protests often prevented subway trains from departing stations. This prompted subway operators to skip stops occupied by the protesters.
SADD's demands range from subsidies for wheelchair taxi drivers to financial support that would allow disabled people to leave residential care facilities and live independently in state-backed housing. The activist group says that the liberal Lee Jae Myung administration has not met these demands.
Conservative Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon has often turned to hard-nosed approaches, threatening zero tolerance against protester, and filing civil suits to seek damages for the traffic disruption caused by the protests. Oh is one of the leading candidates to represent the main opposition People Power Party in the mayoral election, recent polls indicated.
Against this backdrop, Rep. Kim said in a Facebook post Tuesday that he had proposed to have the voices of protesters with disabilities heard, as long as they ceased their protests until the June local election. Kim officially entered the race for Seoul mayor on Dec. 16.
"I will address Seoulites' inconveniences and at the same time have the disabled protesters' opinions discussed at the Assembly," said Kim, who is a two-term liberal lawmaker representing the Seongbuk-A electoral district in Seoul.
The strategic move could serve as a game-changer for Kim, who has been behind in recent polls, an expert said.
Kim was "preemptively focusing on the issue that concerns both people with disabilities and ordinary commuters," which enables him to "boost his profile" as a Seoul mayor hopeful, said Lee Jae-mook, professor of political science at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
Lee added SADD’s goal of "positioning their policy agenda as a priority" in the political landscape was ultimately achieved.
Budget Minister nominee Lee Hye-hoon's surprise meeting with Park on Monday also drew media attention.
Lee has been under fire for abusive behavior in the workplace and questionable private wealth accumulation during her time as a conservative lawmaker.
Lee's meeting with Park, as a nominee for a position to oversee the state budget allocation, "was meant to turn people's attention from personal and family issues to a policy agenda," professor Lee said.
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