GTX-A Samseong Station Rebar Omission: Jung Calls It "Serious Poor Construction," Oh Says "Perfect Reinforcement"

Major candidates for Seoul mayor continued to debate responsibility over the 'GTX-A Samseong Station rebar omission incident.' Jeong Won-oh, the Democratic Party candidate, criticized the issue as a "serious case of poor construction," while Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate, countered by saying that "appropriate and complete reinforcement measures have already been implemented."

On the morning of May 29, Jeong attended a televised debate for Seoul mayoral candidates hosted by the Seoul Election Broadcasting Debate Committee and stated, "The number of occupational fatalities in Seoul in 2025 was higher than the national average, and the number of delayed wage cases was also among the highest for local governments nationwide. This was because candidate Oh paid no attention to these issues." He added, "The response to the GTX-A Samseong Station rebar omission incident is a prime example."

Yonhap News Agency

Jeong continued, "The head of the relevant Seoul City division claims it was not gross negligence but says there was almost six months without reporting. However, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the supervising firm all concluded it was a serious case of poor construction. The director at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said that upon hearing this, he was immediately reminded of the 'boneless apartment' incident and reported it straight to the minister and vice minister." Jeong then asked, "Does candidate Oh see this as a routine case of poor construction, or as a serious one?"

In response, Oh stated, "After listening to the division head and experts, it was determined that the structural strength was sufficient to continue construction. We held 19 meetings and concluded that by reinforcing with steel plates, the strength could actually be made even greater than before."

Oh further responded to Jeong's repeated questioning about whether this constituted serious poor construction by saying, "We have taken thorough and appropriate measures and reported them to the Korea Rail Network Authority. (Whether it is serious poor construction) is not something that can be answered in black and white. It was revealed that reinforcement is possible, and as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also acknowledged this, a trial operation has commenced."

Jeong replied, "(Candidate Oh) cannot state clearly whether this was a serious case of poor construction or not. That is the very definition of a lack of safety awareness." Oh countered, "I'm not avoiding clarity, but I simply won't be drawn into your strategy."

Jeong stated, "There is no value more important than the safety and lives of citizens. Protecting the lives and safety of citizens is the most fundamental duty of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. If I become mayor, I will establish a Life Safety Committee and serve as its chairperson myself, enacting policies to protect lives. I will ensure that citizens can enjoy daily life that is both safe and secure."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.