The police have detained the head of a group advocating for the rights of people with disabilities that has held controversial subway protests during rush hour.

The Namdaemun Police Station in Seoul executed a warrant on Park Kyoung-seok, leader of the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, Friday morning.

He faces charges of illegally occupying roads and disrupting rail operations. Park and other members of the group in motorized wheelchairs held regular rallies by jamming open the doors of subway carriages using ladders that they held sideways, while placing their necks in between rungs. 

This caused delays in train schedules during morning rush hours, and caused commuters to pile up on platforms at stations such as Sinyongsan, Samgakji and Gyeongbokgung stations between January 2021 and January this year.

Park was asked to appear for questioning 18 times, all of which he refused. The police then requested a warrant to place him into custody which the court granted. 

Before he could show up, the advocacy group chief demanded that facilities for the mobility of disabled people such as elevators be installed at all police stations in Seoul.

Park held a press conference in the morning in a show of protest putting himself inside a cage with chains around his neck and said he would be arrested and receive questioning after the presser was over.

He said the group did not commit any illegal acts and that he will ask how authorities can ensure his constitutional right of non-discrimination.