Seoul, Nov 18 (IANS): South Korean Railway workers launched a "work-to-rule" protest on Monday, causing delays in subway services in the capital area, railway officials said.

The labour slowdown was launched by the Korean Railway Workers' Union to demand higher pay and a bigger workforce, with plans to begin an indefinite general strike early next month, Yonhap news agency reported.

As of 8 a.m., trains were being delayed by between 5 and 20 minutes on capital area subway lines 1, 3 and 4 and the Suin-Bundang, Gyeongui-Central and Seohae lines, according to the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL).

All regular trains and KTX high-speed trains were operating normally.

A KORAIL official said an emergency task force was set up the previous day to maintain a prompt response system and minimise passengers' inconvenience.

Any violations of company rules or the law by the striking workers will be handled strictly, the official said.