Baekho, President of Seoul Metro, Gets Off to a Good Start

Baekho, President of Seoul Metro, Has Been Visiting Sites Daily Since His Inauguration on the 23rd... Differentiating Himself from Previous Presidents

Former Director of Seoul City Urban Transportation Office, Well-Acquainted with the Corporation's Situation, Focuses on Understanding Field Operations and Strengthening Communication, with Interest in Resolving Trillions of Won in Debt

Baekho, the newly appointed president, is visiting the control center and having a conversation with employees through a microphone.

Baekho, President of Seoul Metro, is off to a strong start.

His extensive on-site visits stand out as he takes on the role of president responsible for the transportation of 10 million citizens.

In his inauguration speech on the 23rd, President Baekho expressed his hope that this year would be remembered as the first year of innovation for the Seoul subway, pledging to ▲ prioritize safety as the highest value that must be upheld ▲ establish and implement the foundation for change and innovation ▲ build a fair organization ▲ and create a workplace where people can enjoy a happy daily life.

◆ Immediate On-Site Visits After Inauguration

In particular, President Baekho declared a firm determination to overcome difficult management conditions, including massive debt, stating that he would head to the field immediately after the inauguration ceremony and followed through on this promise.

Since then, Baekho has not taken a single day off from on-site visits through the 27th. This is interpreted as a weighty move befitting the president of a corporation with a 50-year history.

Typically, new CEOs of public enterprises begin with business reports from each department at headquarters. However, Baekho took a different approach.

By immersing himself in field operations from the start, he is demonstrating a 'practical leadership' style that resonates with employees.

On the 26th, a meeting was held in the conference room of the Sadang annex of Seoul Metro, where technical offices managing subway systems and facilities gathered. President Baekho met with field executives from each technical office.

Contrary to the field executives' expectations that the meeting would end with a brief briefing and greetings, Baekho adopted a conversational approach, eliciting questions and opinions, listening attentively to the voices of the office heads, exchanging his own ideas, and explaining experiences and cases based on a high level of work understanding. His efforts to align employees' efforts with the company's future vision and goals were evident.

In particular, regarding the issue of improving subway air quality, he presented future management goals and directions, offering concrete alternatives for verifying and improving the performance of various air purifiers currently under debate.

He also visited all departments from the 7th floor to the 1st floor, personally greeting about 800 employees, boosting morale with his promise to do his best for their working environment and welfare.

President Baekho also received evaluations as a ‘prepared president’ by providing nearly perfect answers during the Seoul Metropolitan Council confirmation hearing on the 17th.

◆ Growing Expectations for His Ability to Solve Excessive Debt Issues

An executive of the corporation said, “Many executives and employees of the corporation have high expectations that the new President Baekho, a transportation expert with practical experience and communication with the field, will lead the corporation excellently and develop Seoul’s subway into a safe and world-class system.”

However, Seoul Metro has faced difficulties due to the forced merger of Seoul Metro, which operated subway lines 1 to 4, and the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, which operated lines 5 to 8, during Mayor Park Won-soon’s administration. This created a massive organization with about 16,000 employees, along with debts reaching 1 trillion won annually during the COVID-19 pandemic and years of fare freezes.

Accordingly, there are high expectations within the corporation and Seoul city for President Baekho’s actions and ability to respond.