The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 28th that, in connection with the Seosomun overpass collapse, it believes Seoul City and the contractor violated their duty to immediately report to relevant agencies such as the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) after discovering a 2.9-centimeter level difference on the upper deck of the bridge before the accident, and that it will thoroughly investigate whether any related laws were violated.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said in a press reference that it will thoroughly investigate the demolition process of the Seosomun overpass and take stern action if violations of the Railroad Safety Act and safety rules are found. MOLIT noted that after a KTX train carrying passengers, a Mugunghwa-ho also passed through with no control just minutes before the overpass bridge collapsed, revealing that it nearly led to a much larger disaster.
Earlier, in Dec. last year, Seoul City began demolition work on the overpass after approval from Korea National Railway. The incident occurred during a safety assessment of a 2.9-centimeter settlement that developed while cutting the slab (the top concrete deck of the bridge) at about 2:30 a.m. on the 26th.
However, before the accident occurred, Seoul City and the contractor did not immediately notify Korea National Railway or relevant agencies such as KORAIL that they had discovered a level difference during the work. At the time of the accident, KORAIL also said it had not received from Seoul City or the contractor any information that a level difference had occurred during nighttime work on the day of the accident and that a daytime safety assessment would be conducted as a result.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), the Seoul Metropolitan Infrastructure Headquarters corresponds to the "work notifier" that reports activities within a railroad protection zone under Article 45 of the Railroad Safety Act and Article 46 of its Enforcement Decree.
MOLIT also said there were indications that the safety inspection conducted at the time of the accident differed in part from the "slab overturning prevention" approved by KORAIL for the work entity, and it plans to closely investigate whether there was a false report.
MOLIT is currently conducting a parallel review with the Korean National Police Agency and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) to look into whether there were violations of the Railroad Safety Act and any false reports. MOLIT said it will take lawful measures, including audits and referrals for investigation, on a "strict punishment" basis if violations are identified through the investigation.