A traveler walks past the domestic terminal of Gimpo International Airport in Seoul on Wednesday, as striking airport workers stage a rally outside. (Yonhap)
A traveler walks past the domestic terminal of Gimpo International Airport in Seoul on Wednesday, as striking airport workers stage a rally outside. (Yonhap)

Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, workers at 15 airports nationwide, including the main international gateway, Incheon, launched an indefinite strike Wednesday. No major disruptions have been reported so far.

Around 2,000 workers joined the walkout on its first day, including those in sanitation, traffic control, fire safety, mechanical facility management and terminal operations. They demanded a four-team, two-shift system, instead of the current three-team, two-shift rotation, along with additional staffing, and better treatment for subsidiary employees.

“With the fourth phase of Incheon Airport’s expansion, the workload has increased exponentially. Is it unreasonable to request more staff?” said Seong Young-il, head of the union’s Incheon Airport division.

Although no immediate flight disruptions were reported on Wednesday, industry insiders say prolonged strikes could cause significant chaos.

The Korean Public and Social Services and Transport Workers’ Union stages a rally at Gimpo Airport on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
The Korean Public and Social Services and Transport Workers’ Union stages a rally at Gimpo Airport on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

A woman in her 30s who was flying from Gimpo to Jeju at 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday said she experienced no difficulties due to the strike. She asked to be identified only by her last name, Song.

“When I arrived at Gimpo Airport at 2:30 p.m., the protest was underway and it was loud, so I got worried,” Song told The Korea Herald. “But the airport wasn’t crowded, and I was able to get to the gate without any problems.”

At Incheon Airport, roughly 900 workers in roles such as sanitation and road traffic control participated in the strike. Airport authorities deployed 408 replacement staff, allowing passenger check-in and flight operations to continue without major disruption.

However, some washrooms and other areas inside the terminal showed signs of neglect, with trash piling up at Incheon, according to news reports.

With a record 5.26 million passengers expected to travel through the country’s 15 airports during Chuseok, officials warned that a prolonged strike could lead to severe disruptions.

Striking airport workers walk alongside travelers outside the domestic terminal of Gimpo Airport in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Striking airport workers walk alongside travelers outside the domestic terminal of Gimpo Airport in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Incheon International Airport Corp. and Korea Airports Corp. said they were working with subsidiaries and partners to minimize inconvenience.


ssh@heraldcorp.com