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| Park Kyoung-seok, co-head of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, speaks during a protest at Hyehwa Station in Seoul, Jan. 4. Yonhap |
Seoul Metro, the operator of the subway system in Seoul, has filed a damages suit against a disability rights advocacy group over its subway-riding protests, city officials said Tuesday.
The city-run company filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court on Friday seeking damages of 601.45 million won ($484,000) for train delays and other losses caused by 75 illegal protests staged by the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) since Dec. 3, 2021, they said.
The group staged subway-riding protests at major stations in central Seoul, demanding an increased government budget to protect the rights of people with disabilities.
Wheelchair-bound activists have repeatedly boarded and disembarked trains disrupting metro services during the morning rush hour.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon late last month declared a zero-tolerance policy against their protests, warning of stern legal actions.
In late 2021, Seoul Metro filed a lawsuit against SADD, claiming 30 million won in compensation.
Last month, the Seoul Central District Court issued a mediation, calling for Seoul Metro to install more elevators at subway stations and SADD to stop protests. The court ruled SADD must pay Seoul Metro 5 million won for every five-minute delay in subway operations in the future.
The group accepted the compromise, but Seoul Metro and the city government rejected it.
SADD resumed the protests last month, and the company early last week warned of an additional lawsuit.
Last Wednesday, the group said it will suspend protests until Jan. 19 and demanded a meeting with Mayor Oh.
Oh accepted the offer, but the two sides have yet to agree on the details of the proposed meeting. (Yonhap)
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