Busan subway talks collapse, strike set to begin Friday

Busan Transportation Corporation and its union failed to reach a final agreement Thursday.

The two sides said the 19th round of collective bargaining for 2026, held at the Nopo depot, ended without a deal.

After six hours of talks that began at 3 p.m., the parties agreed on a 3.5 percent basic wage increase and additional staffing, but the union declared the negotiations collapsed over a dispute about specific wording in a proposed agreement on a labor-management cooperation council involving the corporation and its subsidiaries.

Following the breakdown, the Busan Subway Union said it would launch a strike beginning with the first train Friday, and Busan Transportation Corporation activated its emergency operations plan.

However, talks on adjusting the disputed wording were expected to continue through the night.

If the union proceeds with the strike, it would be the first work stoppage since 2019, a gap of seven years.

Should the strike go ahead, train services on Lines 1 through 3 will run at full capacity during peak commuting hours and at 50 percent at other times. Morning rush hour runs from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., and the evening rush from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Line 4, an unmanned light rail line, will operate normally throughout the day regardless of the strike.

The corporation said it would deploy non-union staff, subway security officers and social service workers at all stations to assist passengers and manage facilities.

Additional internal and external personnel will also be assigned to technical areas — including signaling, communications and mechanical systems — to ensure on-site safety.

"We will do our utmost to minimize inconvenience to citizens and reach a swift resolution at the bargaining table," Busan Transportation Corporation President Kim Tae-ho said.