The Association of Restaurant Owners has announced that they will hold a protest rally on Oct. 18 in Seoul to demand credit card commissions cut and easier employment of foreign workers.

Restaurant owners demand lowering credit card commission rate from the current 2-2.7 percent to 1.5 percent and also want to hire migrant workers more easily, ARO said.

As about 100,000 owners are expected at the Olympic Stadium for the protest during lunch time, many workers may find their regular restaurants closed on that day.

Of the total participants, 75 percent will be from Seoul and the rest from the surrounding area.

Restaurant owners have decided to act to have their voices heard on the issues of credit card commission rates and strict labor law amid the economic downturn marked by high inflation rate, ARO officials said.

Seven years ago, when the economy was in the doldrums, about 30,000 restaurant owners demanded tax benefits.

An ARO policy director said that a lot of restaurants will suffer from labor shortage as about 280,000 foreign employees will have their visas expired from next year.

The ARO expects the protest may cause a traffic jam in the morning as 1,711 buses will be mobilized to Jamsil, southern Seoul and may cause inconvenience to workers during lunch time.

A resident in Jamsil surnamed Yu said: “I don’t understand restaurants closing without considering inconveniences to workers in the middle of weekdays.”

The protest is scheduled to be held at Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, southern Seoul, at 11 a.m. on Oct. 18.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)