Seoul mayor to go ahead with overseas trip after canceling over rail workers' strikes

Oh Se-hoon, mayor of Seoul, speaks during an event in Jung District, Dec. 2. Yonhap

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon will go ahead with an overseas business trip after earlier canceling the plan to respond to strikes by subway and railway workers later this week, the city government said Tuesday.

Oh's one-week business trip to India and Malaysia will begin Wednesday as scheduled, the government said in a release three hours after it said the mayor was canceling the trip to deal with expected disruptions from walkouts by unionized KORAIL and Seoul Metro workers, set to begin Thursday and Friday, respectively.

The city government said the reversal was based on considerations that canceling the trip could negatively affect Seoul Metro's negotiating power in last-minute talks between the union and the management.

The union of KORAIL, the KTX and regular train operator, plans to launch an indefinite strike Thursday to demand pay and staff increases, while unionized Seoul subway workers also plan to walk out the following day for similar reasons.

Oh's overseas trip was planned months in advance, and he is scheduled to meet with ranking Indian and Malaysian officials for discussions on various issues, including attracting foreign students, the government explained. (Yonhap)