Railway workers in South Korea who are striking for better working conditions have accused the transport and defense ministers of abuse of power for mobilizing military personnel as substitute workers. 

Filing the criminal accusations with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday, the labor union of the Korea Railroad Corporation(KORAIL) argued that the ministers violated labor laws by injecting the military into a legal strike. 

KORAIL's management refuted the claim, pointing to a court decision during the railway union’s previous general strike in 2016. They said they have no choice but to bring in military personnel to minimize inconvenience to passengers. 

Before the indefinite strike began on Wednesday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced its plan to mobilize over 130 military engineers as temporary KORAIL workers.