The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 4th it will conduct ad hoc inspections of the overall railway safety management system in connection with the Seosomun overpass collapse. If violations are found, it plans to request a police investigation and take necessary measures, including requesting and cooperating on audits.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said it will launch the ad hoc inspections with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) from today through the 12th. The inquiry will focus on whether safety management was carried out in line with the conditions required when the Seoul Metropolitan Government obtained approval for the demolition work from Korea National Railway.
The conditions imposed on the Seoul Metropolitan Government stipulated that if deformation of railway facilities was feared or an emergency situation arose that could pose a danger to train operations, work must be halted immediately and consultations held with Korea National Railway and the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL). The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) views the roughly 2.9 cm step difference on the upper part of the bridge confirmed early on the day of the accident as corresponding to an "emergency situation" among the conditions required of the city, and it plans to check whether the city consulted properly with the two organizations.
Whether there were legal violations in the process of the contractor's consultations and approvals with KORAIL for the work is also under investigation. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) believes the contractor characterized the work as routine to be performed during train operations, even though the overpass had collapsed and there was a risk of debris falling onto the tracks.
It will also review the fact that although the work in question primarily aimed at safety inspections and accident prevention, the purpose agreed upon when the contractor received approval from KORAIL was "preventing slab overturning."
Based on the findings, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) will review measures to prevent a recurrence, including strengthening KORAIL and Korea National Railway's safety management systems for work within railway protection zones and the contractor's reporting system. A railway protection zone is an area near railway facilities established to ensure the safe operation of rail vehicles and the protection of railways.
In addition, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) has formed a joint special inspection team and, from today through the 17th, will conduct on-site inspections of four vulnerable bridges with a safety grade of D (insufficient) or lower among bridges crossed by railways. The targets are the Daechon Overpass in Gwangju, the Cheongdo railway pedestrian overpass in North Gyeongsang Province, and two old bridges in Seoul slated for demolition—the Samgakji overpass and the Dorim overpass. For dangerous bridges, it will recommend repairs and reinforcement, instrumentation management, and precise safety inspections to the responsible management entities.