Unionized airport workers hold a rally at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Oct. 2, 2025, as part of their indefinite general strike that began the day before. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Incheon International Airport, South Korea’s main gateway, is bracing for heavier congestion during the upcoming Chuseok holiday as security screeners and other airport staff escalate labor actions over pay and staffing levels.
Roughly 2.45 million passengers are expected to pass through the airport, about 50 kilometers west of Seoul, over the seven-day break that begins Friday, according to Incheon International Airport Corp. That amounts to an average of 223,000 passengers a day—up 11.5% from last year’s Chuseok period.
But the union representing airport security screeners, employees of IIAC affiliate Incheon International Airport Security, said Thursday it will not provide overtime or additional staff to ease bottlenecks during the peak season. The move skirts legal limits on outright strikes for security personnel but will likely create delays akin to a work stoppage. Screeners had originally planned to deploy 40 to 50 extra workers daily during the holiday.
The standoff comes as broader labor unrest spreads across the country’s aviation sector. Unionized employees at 15 airports, including Incheon, walked off the job for a second day Thursday. About 2,000 workers—covering terminal cleaning, traffic management, firefighting and maintenance—joined the strike, with roughly 1,000 rallying outside Incheon’s Terminal 1 demanding higher staffing and better conditions.
Airport officials said passenger check-in and aircraft operations have so far avoided major disruption. But the strike threatens to complicate travel during one of South Korea’s busiest holiday seasons, testing the government’s ability to balance labor rights with smooth airport operations.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
