A commuter bus drives along a road in the Jongno district of Seoul on Dec. 4, 2023. Bus drivers in the South Korean capital of Seoul went on strike on Thursday after last ditch efforts at negotiating a wage hike broke down, snarling the commute for the city of more than 9 million people and another million from the outskirts. With disruptions expected during rush hours, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said the subway will run for extended hours with additional trains put into service. The full scale strike by the city's bus drivers is the first in 12 years. The negotiations between the Seoul Bus Labor Union, which represents drivers serving 97% of bus operations, and their employers failed after the union demand for a 12.7% hike in hourly wages was dismissed as "excessive," Yonhap reported.

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Persons: Yonhap Organizations: Bus, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Bus Labor Union Locations: Jongno, Seoul