​The Seoul Metropolitan Government says even if it bears additional financial burden with the new wage deal struck with unionized bus drivers, the hike in wages will not immediately lead to a rise in bus fares. 

Head of the Seoul government’s City Transportation Office, Yoon Jong-jang, made the remark on Thursday during a briefing on the new wage deal that will see the drivers receive a four-point-48 percent wage increase and a 650-thousand won holiday allowance.

Noting that bus fares were already raised by 300 won last August, Yoon said a bus fare hike is unlikely to take place for the time being. 

He said though the city government’s financial burdens will grow with the increased wages for bus drivers, the government will have to find another way to earn business profit by strengthening the solidarity between labor and management. 

Yoon also stressed the need to improve systems on addressing public inconvenience in the event of bus drivers’ strikes. 

Yoon said that under systems regulating bus operations, there is no compulsory clause about a certain rate of personnel required to be in service during strikes, unlike a similar existing clause pertaining to subways.