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'It was impossible to move outside the track': Workers blame Korail for fatal train accident

Published: 20 Aug. 2025, 18:12

Officials from the North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Precinct, the National Forensic Service, the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board and the Ministry of Employment and Labor conduct a joint inspection at the site of the Mugunghwa train accident in Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, on Aug. 20. [NEWS1]

Korail violated its own safety guidelines in relation to a fatal train accident in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, workers who were seriously injured said.

The accident occurred on Tuesday at 10:52 a.m. when a Mugunghwa passenger train struck seven workers along the Gyeongbu Line in Cheongdo County. Two workers were killed, and five were injured.

The workers were walking near a slope about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) from Namseonghyeon Station to conduct a structural safety inspection when the train hit them.

Korail’s safety manual states that workers must have a safe evacuation space when a train approaches and must keep at least one meter (3.3 feet) away from the track’s electrified lines.

But at the accident site, workers faced steep slopes and dense vegetation that made evacuation virtually impossible. Survivors also said there was “nowhere to escape.”

The team had been checking retaining walls for damage caused by heavy rain. Korail's rules allow such inspections as “routine work” since they are not directly related to rail operations. But in practice, workers could only reach the site by using the track itself.

“Because of the slope, it was impossible to move outside the track, so we had no choice but to step onto it,” one injured worker said.

CCTV footage revealed on Aug. 20 shows workers immediately before they were hit by a Mugunghwa train on the Gyeongbu Line on Aug. 19, killing two and seriously injuring five. [YONHAP]

The section of track where the accident happened curves sharply and is overgrown with plants in summer, making it hard to spot trains in time. Analysts said the quietness of electric locomotives also makes it difficult for workers to hear them approaching.

“If a train is not accelerating, you may not notice its approach if you are talking with someone next to you,” train engineers noted.

A railroad expert with 30 years of experience told Yonhap that traffic should have been cut off the moment workers stepped onto the tracks.

“Routine work should only be permitted in situations where safety can be fully ensured,” the expert said.

Kang Cheol, head of the Korean Railway Workers’ Union, also criticized the practice.

“Routine work often leaves no space to evacuate while accessing the site,” Kang said. “As long as this system remains in place, accidents like Cheongdo will inevitably happen again.”

Officials from the North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency, the National Forensic Service, the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board and the Ministry of Employment and Labor conduct a joint inspection at the site of the Mugunghwa train accident in Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, on Aug. 20. [NEWS1]

Enough room to escape?

Earlier on Wednesday, authorities investigating the accident said a curve in the track could've played a major role in the incident.

A joint inspection team from the North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Precinct and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board examined the site where the train hit the workers.

“We examined the site from several angles to clearly determine the location of the accident, the circumstances and whether negligence was involved,” said Ahn Joong-man, head of the North Gyeongsang provincial police’s mobile investigation unit, who is leading the task force.

Ahn said the proximity of a curve to the accident site might have hindered visibility.

“There are many curves in this section, so it may have been difficult to see [the train approaching] with the naked eye, but we need to verify this,” Ahn said.

When asked if the workers had space to avoid the oncoming train, Ahn added, “The space was not wide, but if they had anticipated the train and tried to avoid it, there was enough room to escape.”

Inspectors examine the Mugunghwa train that hit seven workers in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, on Aug. 19, killing two and seriously injuring five. [YONHAP]

'Train's black box under analysis'

Investigators are analyzing the train's black box and nearby CCTV footage to determine what happened in the moments before the crash.

They are checking whether the warning app that four of the seven workers reportedly carried was activated, if the train engineer sounded the horn, how far from the tracks the workers were walking, and whether they followed safety protocols.

Investigators declined to provide further details on such matters, saying it was difficult to disclose specifics while the investigation was ongoing.

Railway workers are required to move along the track bed, not the rails and the workers “likely walked on the gravel path beside the rails instead of the designated path,” according to a Korail spokesperson.

Investigators are also reviewing whether the subcontracted workers were rushed into tasks outside their original contract with Korail.

Police conduct an inspection on Aug. 20 at the site of the Mugunghwa train accident that occurred in Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, on Aug. 19. [YONHAP]

Expanding investigations

The prosecution and the Ministry of Employment and Labor have launched separate inquiries.

The Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office has formed a six-member investigation team led by its second deputy chief prosecutor, including prosecutors specializing in public safety, industrial accidents and traffic. The Daegu Regional Employment and Labor Office is examining whether the accident violated the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

Korail said the workers were performing routine safety checks conducted within two meters of active tracks, which normally do not require the suspension of train operations.

“There were no procedural issues,” an official said.

The two workers who died are being mourned at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital, while the five injured remain hospitalized.

“None of the injured are in critical condition, though their injuries are serious enough that questioning will only take place after they recover further,” the police said.

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]]

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'It was impossible to move outside the track': Workers blame Korail for fatal train accident

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