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South Korea Airport Workers Keep Up Strike During Chuseok Travel Rush

Security screeners scrapped an overtime protest, easing immediate delay risks during the holiday crush.

Overview

  • Flights and check-in have largely proceeded as normal, according to Incheon International Airport Corp. and Korea Airports Corp.
  • Travelers at Incheon reported crowded halls, piled-up trash, unattended luggage carts and blocked pedestrian areas despite stable flight operations.
  • Roughly 2,000 subcontracted workers across 15 airports walked out, with roles spanning cleaning, traffic control, firefighting and facility management.
  • Airport operators deployed about 400–500 replacement staff to bolster operations, though staffing levels remain below normal.
  • Unions are seeking a four-team, two-shift roster, more hiring and better treatment for subsidiary employees as holiday traffic is projected to reach 5.26 million nationwide, including about 2.45 million at Incheon.