Employees and management at Korea Railroad Corporation failed to reach an agreement on Wednesday, breaking off negotiations after roughly half an hour and setting the stage for a strike to begin at nine a.m. on Thursday.

The breakdown came after the issue of performance-based pay was not placed on the agenda of the Public Institution Management Committee, a step the union says the government should have ensured.

Union leaders argued that without a firm pledge to resolve the pay issue within the year, they had no choice but to proceed with a strike involving about 10-thousand workers, leaving roughly 12-thousand essential personnel on duty.

The union has also demanded a high-speed rail integration plan and stronger safety measures. However, performance-pay rules—currently calculated at 80 percent of base salary—have become the central obstacle.

Citing past political assurances that have yet to materialize, the union accused the finance ministry of blocking a settlement and effectively pushing rail workers toward a strike.