Seoul shifts work hours for 282,000 seniors to ease rush hour

Elderly subway riders pass through a turnstile at Jongno 3-ga Station in Seoul. Yonhap

The government will shift the work schedules of 282,000 elderly public workers to ease transit congestion exacerbated by the U.S.-Iran oil crisis.

The schedule shift, announced Thursday by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, followed backlash over a recent remark from the president about limiting seniors' free rides during rush hour.

Starting Monday, morning shifts for the public service jobs program for older people will be delayed by one hour, moving from their original 9 a.m. to noon window to a new 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. schedule. Afternoon shifts will be moved forward by one hour, changing from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. to 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The adjusted schedule will operate on a trial basis this month, and the ministry may extend the change if oil prices remain volatile.

The 282,000 affected older people represent a fraction of the 1,152,000 older adults participating in state-funded jobs programs. They are mostly aged 70 or older and work three hours a day for 297,000 won ($201) a month.

Commuters arrive at Chungmuro Station in Seoul, Wednesday, after the city enforced a two-day car-use rotation for public institutions and a five-day rotation for public parking lots. Yonhap

The ministry determined their specific roles — which include subway station safety, park and playground maintenance, trash collection and senior center meal distribution — are flexible enough to accommodate the change.

Essential morning positions, such as school crossing guards and early morning daycare and kindergarten helpers, will maintain their original hours.

A ministry official said the adjustments aim to reduce safety risks on crowded subways and buses while lowering overall public transportation congestion.

The schedule change replaces the controversial idea of restricting seniors' free rides during peak hours. During a Cabinet meeting on March 24, President Lee Jae Myung instructed ministries to study the restriction as an energy-saving measure.

The Korea Senior Citizens Association protested the idea. The group argued that older adults traveling between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. are undertaking essential commutes for jobs like building cleaning, making restrictions unsuitable.

Following the protest, Hong Ik-pyo, the senior presidential secretary for political affairs, put the issue to rest by saying the government has no plans to restrict the free rides.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.