Minister Kim Yoon-deok of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said he would take strict measures through a thorough investigation of the causes related to the railway accident in Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which resulted in seven casualties.
On the 21st, Minister Kim reported the overview of the accident at a full meeting of the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee in the National Assembly and said, "We will actively cooperate with the police, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Aircraft Railroad Investigation Committee to investigate the causes of the accident" and added, "We will check for violations of railway safety laws and take strict measures according to the investigation results."
Earlier, around 10:50 a.m. on the 19th, a Mugunghwa train heading to Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, which had departed from Dongdaegu Station, struck workers moving along the tracks between Namseonghyeon Station and Cheongdo Station in Cheongdo-gun. Two people died and five were seriously injured in this accident.
On that day, both the ruling and opposition parties strongly criticized the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) for their response to the train accident. Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Ahn Tae-joon pointed out to KORAIL Vice President Jeong Jeong-rae, "The work approval time shows 10:45, but the worker entered already at 10:43:55, so it can only be seen as a clear human disaster. We need to accurately pursue responsibility."
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yeom Tae-young said, "Since President Lee Jae-myung took office, safety has been emphasized, yet the widespread safety indifference in society has caused this accident, which is unfortunate," and added, "It is the government's responsibility to prepare thorough measures so that such incidents do not occur again."
People Power Party lawmaker Kim Eun-hye pointed out the strong criticism the government directed at the construction company where the fatal accident recently occurred, stating, "A person died, and the standards for private and public enterprises cannot be different," adding, "If they are different, it is unfair."
Lawmaker Yoon Jae-ok noted, "Between 2020 and 2024, 155 people died from industrial accidents in public corporations and quasi-public institutions, and half of these were from agencies under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport," and emphasized that "there should be stricter measures regarding public sector safety accidents."
Additionally, lawmaker Yoon stated, "When a fatal accident occurs in a private corporation, it leads to work stoppages, searches, and changes in management, but the public agencies are also being watched by the citizens," and argued that "the public sector needs to present stricter safety measures to ensure acceptance from the private sector."
KORAIL President Han Moon-hee expressed his sense of responsibility regarding this accident by submitting his resignation to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport that day.