Seoul, Dec 6 (IANS): The government on Friday expressed concerns that a general strike of unionised workers of the national railway operator may continue for a prolonged period due to political chaos surrounding a recent martial law imposition.

The walkout by workers of the Korea Railroad Corp., the first since September 2023, has affected operations of high-speed KTX trains and regular train services across the country since Thursday, Yonhap news agency reported.

Yoon Jin-hwan, director-general of the transport ministry's railway bureau, said it was "difficult to predict when the railway strike will end" due to heightened uncertainty surrounding national politics.

He said rail operations could be maintained at 70 per cent of normal capacity for up to two to three weeks. However, if the strike extends beyond a month, operational capacity is expected to decline further.

Yoon expressed concern that the fatigue among non-striking workers could compromise safety in rail operations.

Industry watchers also say the strike may extend further due to heightened political tension surrounding the martial law fiasco.

During strike rallies held nationwide, slogans calling for the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol could be seen and heard, indicating that the strike's scope may have extended beyond regular labour demands.