Seoul City Council People Power Party Hangang Bus Inspection Team Visits Tongyeong, Goseong, and Sacheon in Gyeongnam for Fair Hangang Bus Inspection
"We Will Continuously Monitor Safe Hangang Bus Operations for Seoul Citizens"
The Hangang Bus Inspection Team of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's People Power Party (Representative Lee Seong-bae) visited the Hangang Bus construction sites (Tongyeong, Goseong, Sacheon in Gyeongnam) on October 31 to inspect the progress so far.
The Hangang Bus Inspection Team consists of People Power Party council members whose constituencies include Hangang Bus piers, namely Councilor Kim Chun-gon (Gangseo 4), Councilor Park Jung-hwa (Seongdong 1), Councilor Lee Sae-nal (Gangnam 1), and Representative Lee Seong-bae (Songpa 4), aiming to ensure the safe operation of Hangang Buses for Seoul citizens.
The inspection team visited Gaduk Heavy Industries site and Eunseong Heavy Industries site, which constructed Hangang Bus Lines 1 and 2, listened to explanations from officials about the progress rates ranging from 34% at the Goseong factory to 87% at the Sacheon factory, and inspected ship assembly, deck houses, and completed vessels.
They also held a Q&A session with site officials and Seoul city officials to receive answers regarding issues previously raised by the media, the National Assembly, and the City Council.
Regarding criticisms that the newly established company lacks shipbuilding experience and in-house production capabilities, they heard that although it is a new company, both the CEO and employees are professional technicians with experience working at ship-related institutions. They explained that shipbuilding is essentially an 'assembly business,' where parts manufactured by other companies are assembled at the shipyard to build ships. After directly inspecting the site, they confirmed that concerns about the shipbuilding capabilities were unfounded.
They also confirmed that safety verification is conducted regularly through the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority at each stage of the process, ensuring thorough safety checks during ship construction.
Regarding ship speeds, they explained that Lines 1 to 4 average 15.6 knots, while Lines 5 to 8 will operate at 17.8 knots, distinguishing between express and regular routes.
In response to questions about whether safe navigation is possible given the Hangang River's flow variations and the route passing through 17 bridge piers, they stated that operators with experience in cruise ships and similar vessels will be selected and trained before deployment.
At the site, Gaduk Heavy Industries, the Hangang Bus construction company, expressed difficulties caused by media reports portraying them as unqualified due to lack of shipbuilding history and insufficient in-house production capabilities, which has led to decreased trust and delays in component orders from partner companies.
The Hangang Bus Inspection Team expressed concern that the project, which is being promoted for citizens, is being viewed negatively due to political attacks, and hoped that misunderstandings would be cleared through this site visit.
Representative Lee Seong-bae said, “There was some haste in the initial promotion of the Hangang Bus project. However, after visiting the actual sites, I feel somewhat reassured as the construction is being carried out meticulously at each stage, contrary to concerns.”
He added, “Our country has a national trauma regarding ship accidents. No matter how many times we emphasize safety, it is never enough,” and urged, “Continuous efforts from Seoul City and the operating company, Hangang Bus Co., Ltd., are necessary so that citizens can use the Hangang Bus with peace of mind.”
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