Seoul Metro Reveals 34 Cases of Non-Compliance in the Past Two Years
As of September this year, out of 488,014 alcohol tests conducted on all Seoul subway crew members, only 29 cases were detected, causing shock.
Seoul Metro issued a clarification statement on the 15th, stating, "There have been no cases of alcohol detection during train operation," and added, "However, the company conducts alcohol tests as part of the crew suitability inspection before train operation to ensure safe train operation, and 34 cases of unsuitability have occurred in the past two years."
According to Article 41 of the current Railroad Safety Act (Restrictions on Alcohol Consumption by Railroad Workers), train drivers are prohibited from consuming alcohol during train operation, and if the blood alcohol concentration exceeds 0.02%, they face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won.
As of September this year, the detection rate was 0.006% (29 cases) out of 488,014 alcohol tests conducted on all crew members.
If a crew member is judged unfit based on the pre-duty crew suitability inspection (alcohol test), the crew member is excluded from duty that day and assigned to ground work and special training.
The total number of disciplinary actions due to unsuitability from alcohol tests is three. The company disciplines those who repeatedly test unsatisfactory or consume alcohol during break times.
Additionally, two crew members who refused alcohol testing were also disciplined.
▲ Habitual drinkers (2 persons): Workers excluded from duty more than twice a year are classified as "habitual drinkers" and are subject to disciplinary actions of “3 months salary reduction” and “2 months salary reduction” according to internal regulations.
▲ Drinking during break time (1 person): One person was disciplined with a “1 month salary reduction” for drinking alcohol during a meal break after finishing night duty and before the next day’s work.
▲ Refusal of alcohol test (2 persons): Two individuals who refused alcohol testing four times, claiming that “according to the Railroad Safety Act, tests or checks should only be conducted when there is reasonable cause to believe alcohol or drug use,” were disciplined with “1 month suspension.”
Going forward, the company plans to strengthen disciplinary measures against habitual alcohol offenders (more than twice a year) to raise awareness about drunk driving, and will thoroughly conduct crew suitability inspections (including alcohol tests) before starting duty to fundamentally prevent drunk driving.
They also stated that regular service checks will be conducted and education will be strengthened for all crew members.
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