SEOUL: The Seoul subway's labour union on Saturday announced that it had secured an agreement with the South Korean capital's authorities to extend public transit operations past midnight, two years after they were curtailed because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Unionised workers of Seoul Metro, the subway system's operator, reportedly said operation hours will be extended from midnight to 1 a.m. on weekdays beginning as early as next month, with exact dates differing depending on the subway route.

Lines 2 and 6-8 will start providing longer night-time service in early June, while lines 1, 3 and 4 will be pushed back in August.  The adjustment in Line 5's schedule will be confirmed once the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has given its permission.

The deal, which excludes weekends and holidays, comes in the wake of a public outcry over the difficulty in getting taxis late at night after the considerable loosening of social distancing limits. 

Since April 1, 2020, the late-night service has been suspended.

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