Unapproved Work and Failure to Report Misalignment: MOLIT Requests Investigation into Seosomun Overpass Collapse Contractor and Seoul City

The Ministry Conducted Ad Hoc Safety Inspections with Korea Transportation Safety Authority in June

"Work Conducted Without Prior Approval, No Reporting After Recognizing Dangers"

Police Investigation Requested for Contractor, Supervisor, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Korea Railroad Corporation

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on August 14 that it had identified safety management violations just prior to the collapse of the Seosomun overpass and has requested a police investigation into the contractor, supervising company, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, together with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, conducted ad hoc inspections of the demolition work at the Seosomun overpass from June 4 to June 19 and announced the results on this day. According to railway corporation work regulations, the basic work plan for structure safety inspections carried out by the contractor or supervisor on the day of the accident should be approved by the railway corporation one month before the work, and the safety agreement for railway operations should be approved on the day of the work. However, it was revealed that the work proceeded without obtaining such approvals.

On May 26, three people died and three were injured when the deck collapsed at the demolition site of the Seosomun Overpass in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Due to the risk of further collapse, recovery work has been delayed, causing disruptions to train operations, including the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and KTX. The photo shows the accident site on May 27, 2026. Photo by Dongju Yoon

The Ministry explained that certain tasks, such as the S9 slab overturn prevention installation, were not included in the basic work plan but were falsely documented as if they had been approved, and the safety agreement for railway operations was conducted on that basis. The safety agreement had listed four workers, but thirteen people were put on site without authorization. The Ministry has requested a police investigation of the contractor and supervising company.

The inspection also revealed that the Seoul Metropolitan Government failed to suspend construction, notify the Korea National Railway and Korea Railroad Corporation, and request a suspension of train services, despite relevant regulations requiring such actions in emergencies. After being notified in advance about a 2.9 cm misalignment that caused the bridge collapse, the city took no action until the accident occurred. The Ministry has also requested a police investigation into the Seoul Metropolitan Government. As for the Korea Railroad Corporation, it was found to have inadequately reviewed the safety agreement for railway operations and its attached materials; the Ministry has requested a police investigation.

The Ministry recommended that both the Korea National Railway and Korea Railroad Corporation require the submission and review of safety management plans and inspection results in advance for high-risk operations, as well as establish rules for conducting joint on-site inspections. The Ministry also ordered KORAIL to complete the review of railway protection zone activity reports within 15 days and to verify that the submitted documents match actual work details when consulting on safety agreements for adjacent construction along operating rail lines.

Cho Sungyun, Director General for Railway Safety Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "If approval procedures according to regulations had been properly followed, the damage from the Seosomun overpass collapse could have been mitigated," adding, "By referring the relevant organizations for investigation, we will ensure accountability is established and will further strengthen overall railway safety, not only within railway protection zones but also across the entire system, to prevent similar accidents in the future."

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