▲ Disability rights activists stage a protest at Hyehwa Station in central Seoul, in this file photo taken Aug. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- A disability rights advocacy group staged a surprise "subway-riding" protest at two subway stations in Seoul on Monday, temporarily disrupting operations at one of the stations.

The protest by members of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination began at Yongsan Station on Subway Line 1 and Hyehwa Station on Subway Line 4 at 8 a.m., calling for increased government spending for people with disabilities and their mobility rights in next year's budget.

During the protest, wheelchair-bound activists repeatedly boarded and disembarked from trains or deliberately took a long time to board.

Train operator KORAIL responded to the protest by having northbound trains bound for downtown Seoul pass through Yongsan Station without stopping for about two hours from 8:10 a.m. to 10:06 a.m., inconveniencing commuters.

Operations at Hyehwa Station returned to normal after all activists left the station by train at around 9 a.m.

The activists threatened to stage similar protests at Hyehwa Station every Monday through Aug. 24. They staged a protest at Noryangjin Station on Subway Line 1 in southern Seoul on Aug. 3.

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