Seoul Metro's Core Two Tasks 'Safety' & 'Integrity' Face Major 'Crisis'... Can Fundamental Solutions Be Found?

Following strong audit measures including a warning to the head of the organization, a request for investigation of the former technical headquarters chief, and a recommendation to dismiss the responsible director due to issues with the installation of bidirectional dust collectors in the Seoul subway, an explosion at Bucheon Sangdong Station substation and the death of a disabled person are under investigation by Bucheon Police Station, with top leadership accountability likely to be raised depending on the investigation results.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seoul Metro, led by President Kim Sang-beom, a former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Transportation Headquarters and Administrative Deputy Mayor, is facing its greatest crisis, drawing attention.

Seoul Metro, which has held the top position among Seoul’s public enterprises for nearly 50 years since its establishment, is being evaluated as facing an absolute crisis in core values such as ‘safety’ and ‘integrity,’ raising questions about whether fundamental countermeasures can be implemented.

As Seoul’s largest public corporation serving over 7 million Seoul citizens and metropolitan area residents daily, Seoul Metro has received severe audit sanctions from the Seoul Metropolitan Government Audit Committee, including ▲a warning to the head of the institution ▲a request for investigation of the former head of the Technical Headquarters by investigative agencies ▲recommendation for dismissal of the responsible department head ▲and suspension of other responsible staff. It is known that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is currently investigating this matter, attracting significant attention.

This audit result is probably the largest scale since the corporation’s inception.

In addition, a fatal incident occurred at Bucheon Sangdong Station’s restroom, where a person with disabilities died due to CO2 leakage suspected to have been caused by a substation explosion, prompting the Bucheon Police Station to launch a full-scale investigation.

Depending on the investigation results regarding whether the safety management manual was properly implemented, legal responsibility may be imposed on the highest safety management officer.

It is known that the corporation has taken measures to suspend the responsible team leader and staff, but the safety management officer has not yet been held accountable.

Thus, the most critical issues for the corporation’s existence?‘safety’ and ‘integrity’?are showing signs of instability.

This points to a lack of proper workplace discipline and growing laxity, which must be painfully reconsidered.

Furthermore, there are opinions that the corporation’s decision to appoint a safety headquarters chief and then transfer him to the position of technical headquarters chief, leaving the safety headquarters chief position vacant for several months, has contributed to a sense of safety negligence.

President Kim Sang-beom and executives are reportedly preparing core countermeasures regarding safety and integrity, which will likely undergo verification by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

A corporation official stated, “Since there has been no official announcement from investigative agencies regarding the fatal incident at Bucheon Sangdong Station, we are monitoring the situation,” adding, “Once the investigation results are released, we will express the corporation’s position and prepare and announce countermeasures.”

At that time, Seoul Metro showed leadership accountability, such as when then-President Jang Jung-woo resigned taking responsibility immediately after the collision of trains inside Sangwangsimni Station following Mayor Park Won-soon’s inauguration in the 5th elected term, and when President Lee Jung-won was fined 10 million won following the death accident at Guui Station. During President Kim Sang-beom’s tenure, accidents such as the train collision at Sangye Station and the derailment at Magok Station occurred consecutively in May and June last year.

Accordingly, attention is focused on whether the top leadership will be held accountable depending on the outcome of this incident as well.