On 2 January 2023 at 8:00 a.m., approximately 250 disability and human rights defenders, including members of SADD, attempted to ride the subway at the Samgakji subway station in Seoul, near the office of the President of the Republic of Korea. The protesters planned to use the demonstration to call for sufficient budget allocation to address disability rights. However, on this day approximately 600 police officers from 10 units had been deployed to the Samgakji station to prevent the defenders from boarding the subway and from peacefully protesting. The police formed a human barrier to prevent the protesters from boarding, and reportedly contained and isolated the protesters for 14 hours in Samgakji station. Police officers also refused to unfold the “mobile safety footplates,” portable wheelchair ramps intended to assist users, including wheelchair users, in boarding subways given the gap between trains and platforms, hence blocking the protesters from boarding the subway train.

Access to the elevators at the station was also reportedly blocked, with a sign stating the elevators were “out of order.” The wheelchair accessible entrance door to the subway platform was also closed with a sign stating “Out of order. Under maintenance.” It is reported however that there is no record of the elevators or door being out of order. Police also reportedly used disproportionate force towards the protesters, including by violently pushing and knocking over protesters, and damaging electronic components of protesters’ wheelchairs. The actions of the police reportedly caused injuries to protesters, including bruising, abrasions, a mild concussion and a fractured finger bone. Police also kept using a loudspeaker every 20 seconds to warn the protesters to “stop the illegal demonstration” each time they tried to voice their concerns during the demonstration, holding the megaphone close to the face of protesters.

The Seoul Metro also obstructed the protest by having 13 subway trains pass through the Samgakji station without stopping. The corporation also sent out 4 text messages under its “disaster safety” system to all citizens of Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon areas stating “Subway line number 4 heading to Danggogae station are passing the Samgakji station without stopping due to SADD’s illegal subway-taking protests.” The disaster safety text message system is usually reserved for emergency situations such as extreme weather events, public health emergencies or other urgent and life-threatening situations. Seoul Metro also broadcasted a similar message in most subway stations in Seoul every five minutes over their public announcement system.

On the same day, Seoul Namdaemun Police Station held a press briefing to announce it had been investigating 29 disability and human rights defenders who participated in protests since January 2021 and sent 24 investigations to the Prosecution Office upon completion of investigations. It is reported that the allegations concern traffic obstruction and interference with business. The cases were reportedly sent to the Public Investigation Department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, a department that usually is dedicated to national security matters, while there is another department for legal matters arising from transportation or railway related events.