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Korail under fire for workplace safety after deadly train accident in North Gyeongsang

Published: 20 Aug. 2025, 12:56

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

A Mugunghwa train struck seven maintenance workers on the Gyeongbu Line in southeastern Korea on Tuesday, killing two and seriously injuring five. The accident revived long-standing questions about why the country’s state rail operator has failed to prevent deadly accidents that experts say are avoidable.

Experts and railway officials said the accident likely stemmed from poor oversight, pointing to systemic flaws in Korea Railroad Corporation’s (Korail) safety controls. The incident is expected to be recorded as the first workplace fatality involving a state-owned enterprise under the current administration.

Railway unions and civic groups urged fundamental reforms.

“We need structural improvements to the safety management system, not patchwork fixes,” they said.

Train detection app failure

The accident occurred Tuesday morning in Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo County in North Gyeongsang, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and police.

Seven workers inspecting railway facilities were on the tracks when a Mugunghwa train hit them.

One Korail employee carried a work phone equipped with a train-detection app, but it failed to prevent the collision.

Workers are typically instructed to walk along the railway embankment rather than the tracks during inspections, but reports indicate they were walking near the tracks during train operation hours.

A Mugunghwa train hit seven workers on the tracks in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang, on Aug. 19. As police, firefighters, and Korail officials investigate the scene, a train is seen passing slowly on the right. [NEWS1]

Parallels with Miryang accident

The accident resembled one that occurred near Miryang Station in South Gyeongsang in October 2019.

Three workers on the tracks failed to detect an approaching train, resulting in one death and two serious injuries. At the time, a signaler had alerted them, but the workers did not hear the warning due to noise and also missed visual signals.

The Cheongdo case also involved workers failing to detect an approaching train. The difference, analysts noted, is that the Miryang accident occurred in a noisy work environment, while the Cheongdo case involved an electric train, which produces relatively little noise and may have been harder to notice.

Korail faces accountability

Experts said repeated accidents highlight Korail’s chronic safety lapses. They pointed to failures in early warning systems and inadequate evacuation protocols.

With workers losing their lives or suffering severe injuries due to these shortcomings, Korail now faces mounting scrutiny over its structural problems and responsibility for the tragedy.

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 JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]