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Grief, shock and anger as families of railway workers killed by train mourn victims

Published: 20 Aug. 2025, 14:20

A funeral wreath from Han Moon-hee, CEO of Korea Railroad Corporation, stands at the altar for victims of the Mugunghwa train accident at the funeral hall in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, on Aug. 19. [YONHAP]

CHEONGDO, North Gyeongsang — Families of two railway workers killed by a Mugunghwa train during a safety inspection in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, are demanding to know how a routine job turned fatal and why they only learned of the accident hours later, as they stood in disbelief at funeral altars mourning sons in their 30s who never came home from work.

The families of two subcontracted workers received mourners at the funeral hall of Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, on Wednesday morning after the fatal incident on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at 10:52 a.m. on Tuesday, when a Mugunghwa train struck seven railway workers on the Gyeongbu Line in Cheongdo County. Two died and five were injured. The victims were walking along a sloped section of track near Namseonghyeon Station, around 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) away, as part of a structural safety inspection.

One of the deceased, surnamed Cho, 30, did not have a funeral altar set up until Wednesday morning, as it was delayed by a series of formal steps, including an autopsy, a medical death confirmation and final clearance by prosecutors.

The altars for both deceased workers, surnamed Lee and Cho, were placed across from each other.

The heavy silence in the funeral hall contrasted with the wails that had filled the room on Tuesday night. Both men were only in their 30s, making the tragedy especially painful for those in attendance.

"My son just secured a rental home and was planning to move in this Saturday," Cho's father said. “I don’t know what’s what anymore. I feel like I’m dying. What am I supposed to do?”

Cho had recently joined the subcontractor as a new employee.

As police, fire authorities and Korail officials investigate the scene where a Mugunghwa train struck seven maintenance workers in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang on Aug. 19, the train moves slowly on the right side. [NEWS1]

"We learned about the accident between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., nearly four hours after it happened," Cho's father said. “Whenever they go out to work on the tracks, the authorities know where and when they’re working. They need to investigate thoroughly how and when this happened.”

Lee’s mother, overwhelmed with grief, could barely stand.

“He was a good son who never once disobeyed his mother,” she said. “I can’t let him go like this. It’s unfair. How does someone die on the job? What kind of workplace is this?”

Lee’s father seemed shocked and said, “I just want to forget everything quickly.”

Several politicians on Tuesday night visited the funeral hall, including Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae, Cheongdo County Governor Kim Ha-su, North Gyeongsang Vice Governor for Economic Affairs Yang Geum-hee, Land Minister Kim Yoon-duk and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon. They promised a thorough investigation and measures to prevent similar incidents, but the families remained skeptical.

One of Lee’s relatives questioned the sincerity of the visit.

“Isn’t it always the same? They come, show their faces and leave. Then nothing happens. What will you actually do?” the relative said about the Democratic Party officials.

Jung replied, “We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and will assign a public official to each bereaved family to provide support as needed.”

Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae speaks after paying his respects at the funeral altar for victims of the Mugunghwa train accident in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, on Aug. 19. [YONHAP]

Police, meanwhile, launched a special investigative team to determine the cause of the crash. The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency formed the team with 34 personnel, including officers from the criminal and forensic divisions.

The team began collecting evidence on Wednesday, including CCTV footage from the accident site and the black box from the Mugunghwa train. Investigators from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the police were scheduled to conduct a joint inspection later on Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities also plan to examine Korea Railroad Corporation’s safety planning documents to determine whether adequate precautions were in place at the time of the accident. Police will question surviving workers once they complete medical treatment.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor also launched a 15-member task force to investigate possible violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The ministry will conduct a special labor inspection as part of the probe.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JUNG-SEOK [[email protected]]