Chaotic scenes and public inconveniences are being reported at the country's major train stations on Friday as unionized rail workers continue their general strike for the second straight day.

According to the transport ministry, as of 9 a.m. Friday, the train operation rate nationwide was 79-point-six percent of normal levels. The operation rate of high-speed KTX trains stood at 77-point-five percent, the rate of subways in the capital region at 84 percent and of freight trains at 19-point-five percent.

The ministry said as of 6 a.m. Friday, four-thousand-783, or 26-point-one percent of 18-thousand-302 rail workers were participating in the strike.

The Korean Railway Workers' Union is scheduled to hold a press conference led by civic groups in support of its group action at Seoul Station on Friday morning, followed by a rally at Seoul's Yongsan Station in the afternoon, involving progressive political parties.

The union said it plans to take legal action against the transport ministry's dispatch of more than five-thousand substitute workers, including personnel from the military and the police.

The union has also said it will decide on a possible second round of strikes after the ongoing four-day walkout ends at 9 a.m. on Monday, taking into account the ministry and the management's position.

The union is demanding that the high-speed KTX trains be allowed access to Seoul's Suseo Station, which serves as the starting station for the Super Rapid Train(SRT), another high-speed train service, as well as improvements in the work shift system.

The Korea Railway Corporation, or KORAIL, plans to temporarily operate five trains on the Gyeongbuk KTX line, connecting Seoul and Busan on Friday. These trains will depart from Busan at 9:44 a.m., 2 p.m., and 6:42 p.m., and from Seoul at 2:41 p.m. They will also depart from Haengsin Station in Goyang city, Gyeonggi Province, at 6:02 p.m.