A subway station in Seoul is packed with passengers, Nov. 9, 2023. Newsis

Unionized Seoul subway workers said Tuesday they will go on a full-scale strike on Dec. 6 in demand of increases in wages and new staff hiring.

The walkout plan was announced in a news conference by the biggest of the three labor unions of Seoul Metro, the operator of subway lines 1-8, in front of Seoul City Hall.

The strike, if realized, will be staged for the third year in a row.

Concerns about massive railway service disruptions are rising further, as the Korean Railway Workers' Union in charge of subway operations in the capital area and national train services have also threatened an indefinite general strike early next month.

The Seoul Metro union, which represents 60 percent of the workforce, said its members will launch a labor slowdown and work-to-rule protests Wednesday as part of the general strike plan.

According to company officials, the main disputed issues are wage and hiring increases. The company offered a pay raise of 2.5 percent, but the labor union has demanded a higher increase. (Yonhap)