Subway Line 4 Operator Driving While Playing Mobile Game... "Just Thinking About It Is Dizzying"

Exposed Due to Photo Posted in Community
KORAIL "Will Strictly Discipline the Crew Member Involved"

A Seoul Subway Line 4 train operator was caught watching game videos on his mobile phone while operating the train.

On the 30th, Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) decided to file a complaint with the railway judicial police against a crew member in his 30s, Mr. A, for violating the Railway Safety Act, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the same day. It was revealed that Mr. A was watching game videos on his mobile phone near Dongjak Station on Line 4 while operating the Oido-bound train on Seoul Subway Line 4 at around 6:08 p.m. on the 29th.

Photo showing train operator Mr. A watching a game video while operating a subway train [Image source: 'Blind' capture, Yonhap News]

Mr. A’s thoughtless behavior was exposed by a photo posted on KORAIL’s internal bulletin board on the anonymous office worker community 'Blind.' The photo posted on Blind showed the train operator standing in front of the train control panel holding a mobile phone in one hand. The train control panel in the photo clearly displayed the next station, remaining distance, and time, while Mr. A’s phone screen was playing what appeared to be a game video. Additionally, it was just after 6 p.m., during rush hour, and the train was extremely crowded inside.

KORAIL employees who saw the photo left comments such as, "Wow, how many people were on that train during rush hour?" and "How do we find out who that operator is?" criticizing the operator’s irresponsible behavior. Based on the photo, KORAIL identified the operator as Mr. A. A KORAIL official stated, "We confirmed with Mr. A that he watched game videos while operating the train," adding, "We will strictly discipline him according to the investigation results and conduct special training and on-site inspections for all crew members."

The Railway Safety Act and KORAIL regulations prohibit crew members, including train operators, from using electronic devices (mobile phones) while operating trains. In fact, several train accidents in the past have been caused by operators using mobile phones.

These include the accident in July 2014 in Taebaek, Gangwon, where a tourist train collided with a Mugunghwa train and derailed, resulting in one passenger’s death, and the November 2022 accident at Obong Station in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, where a worker was struck and killed by a freight train during operations. Both incidents were caused by negligence such as the operator’s use of mobile phones. In response, KORAIL is considering installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) in train operator cabins and developing an automatic system to verify whether crew members have turned off their electronic devices (mobile phones).