The Korea Rail Network Authority announced on the 16th that it has reorganized its structure into a field-centered project management (PM) system and carried out personnel appointments. The purpose is to comply with the construction period of railway projects and strengthen budget execution capabilities.
The Rail Network Authority reorganized from the previous 6 headquarters, 2 offices, 1 institute, and 5 regional headquarters to 7 headquarters, 1 institute, and 6 regional headquarters (a total of 35 regional project team PMs). Until now, the Authority's supervisory departments were dispersed according to project stages and types of construction. This caused a lack of synergy between departments and delays in work, which hindered timely schedule compliance.
To resolve these issues, the Rail Network Authority introduced a field-centered PM system. The project team leader oversees tasks in each field (civil engineering, track, architecture, electrification power, signaling and communication, land compensation, etc.), enabling faster grasp of progress and budget execution status.
A dedicated organization was also established to actively promote key national projects such as the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX) and railway undergrounding. Additionally, to prepare for the expansion of private investment projects and strengthen the Authority’s design competitiveness, the previously separated construction and system design departments were integrated into a single headquarters.
Furthermore, the Safety Headquarters was granted the 'authority to halt construction' to prevent major accidents, and the existing research organization was transformed into the Railway Innovation Research Institute to respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The newly established project management organization classifies project team leaders by project scale and stage into director, general manager, and deputy general manager levels, staffed with convergent talents possessing project management capabilities. In particular, deputy general manager-level project team leaders were selected through a position recruitment process, followed by an in-depth interview with the President for final selection. Moreover, for the first time in the Authority’s history, female executives with both work ability and leadership were appointed to the positions of Head of Talent Development and Head of Planning and Budget.
Lee Seong-hae, President of the Korea Rail Network Authority, said, "This reorganization and personnel appointment based on the field-centered PM system is a turning point that can be compared to a second founding, allowing the Authority to leap forward to the next level. I hope all employees will unite their capabilities within the new organizational system to build railways that the public can use with confidence."
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