"Best Support for Victims, No Avoidance of Responsibility" Ju Woo-jeong CEO's First Press Conference on Collapse Accident [Full Text]

When Asked About the Cause of the Accident:
"We Must Wait for the Investigation Results"
"The Company, Including Myself, Will Take Responsibility Where Appropriate"

Joo Woo-jung, CEO of Hyundai Engineering (center), is apologizing at a meeting related to the Seoul-Sejong Expressway accident held on the 28th at the headquarters building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Joo Woo-jung, CEO of Hyundai Engineering, stated on the 28th regarding the bridge collapse accident at the Seoul-Sejong Expressway construction site in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, "We will sincerely cooperate with all investigations and do our best to take necessary measures."

On the same day, CEO Joo held a press conference at Hyundai Engineering headquarters in Gyedong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, together with Park Sang-jun, Head of the Architecture Business Division, and Kim Jeong-bae, Head of the Safety and Quality Division, bowing deeply at a 90-degree angle while saying, "We will mobilize all company resources to fully support the victims and manage the aftermath of the accident." This was the first official apology by CEO Joo since the apology letter issued under his name on the 26th.

Regarding inquiries about the cause of the accident, the company repeatedly stated, "Since the government investigation is ongoing, we will wait for the results." When asked whether there were any fixing devices on the collapsed girder, CEO Joo said, "That is related to the post-accident investigation, so it is difficult to comment on it here." Director Park said, "Typically, anti-overturning facilities are installed when girders are set up, and we understand that such facilities were installed at the accident site as well. However, since the investigation is still underway, it is difficult to make definitive statements about this."

When asked whether supervisors from the client, Korea Expressway Corporation, were assigned to the accident section and what the most likely internal cause of the accident is, the company responded, "The most important purpose here is to offer an apology as the construction company," adding, "We are internally identifying the cause and reviewing necessary measures, but it is difficult to provide detailed information before the investigation results are released."

According to the company, the site manager present at the accident scene and the 10 workers working on the bridge were all employees of two subcontractors. Director Kim said, "Hyundai Engineering employees had moved to other areas after the safety inspection meeting (TBM) before work that morning," and "The site manager was at the fabrication yard located just behind the bridge at the time of the accident."

Regarding expert opinions suggesting that the site manager's legal responsibility under the Serious Accident Punishment Act is inevitable, CEO Joo said, "It does not seem to be the stage to discuss responsibility now," adding, "Once the investigation is completed and results are out, we, including myself, will take responsibility where appropriate."

Joo Woo-jung, CEO of Hyundai Engineering, is explaining the construction overview at a meeting related to the Seoul-Sejong Expressway accident held on the 28th at the headquarters building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Choi Seo-yoon

Hyundai Engineering announced that immediately after the accident, it has been supporting the bereaved families with funeral procedures, guidance on industrial accident insurance survivor benefits, and psychological counseling to alleviate mental shock. For the injured, the company is providing medical treatment support, living expenses, and psychological counseling.

CEO Joo said, "I have personally visited the families," adding, "So far, I have met six families, and I plan to visit the remaining four families soon."

Regarding support for the injured's living expenses, he explained, "Although the amount is not large, we initially provided 3 million KRW to those facing immediate difficulties in daily life while nursing at the hospital," adding, "This support is for urgent transportation costs or other necessary expenses, and we plan to adjust flexibly depending on the situation."

Regarding compensation for damages, Director Park said, "Although the project was jointly constructed by three companies, Hyundai Engineering is responsible for construction, so we are approaching this with a responsible attitude," adding, "We have not yet discussed this with other contractors."

The market expects the cost scale of the collapse accident to be not very large. Bae Se-ho, a researcher at iM Securities, estimated, "It is expected to be around 30 to 35 billion KRW." He added, "If the entire section, not just the bridge, were to be reconstructed, the cost could reach 200 billion KRW, but considering the segmentation of the construction process, the likelihood of this is low."

Accident scene in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi Province. Provided by Hyundai Engineering

Hyundai Engineering is leading (57.2%) the construction of the Seoul-Sejong Expressway (Section 9), spanning Yangdae-ri, Ipjang-myeon, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, and In-ri, Seoun-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi Province. The company formed a consortium with Hoban Industrial (34.4%) and Beomyang Construction (8.4%, currently withdrawn) to carry out the project. The subcontractor Jangheon Industrial was responsible for installing the girders, which are the bridge deck structures, and Gangsan Development was responsible for placing the slabs (deck plates) on top of the girders.

At the construction site, during the process of removing the launcher (installation equipment) after placing the steel girder that supports the upper part of the bridge, the girder collapsed, resulting in four workers dead and six injured.

The police conducted search and seizure operations at seven locations, including Hyundai Engineering and the client Korea Expressway Corporation's headquarters and offices on the same day. The funerals for two deceased workers were also held on the same day.

The following is the full statement from CEO Joo

Joo Woo-jung, CEO of Hyundai Engineering (right), is seated at his desk at the headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 28th before making a statement regarding the Seoul-Sejong Expressway accident. Photo by Yonhap News

This is Joo Woo-jung, CEO of Hyundai Engineering. On February 25, an accident that should never have happened occurred at the Sejong-Anseong high-speed railway construction site we are constructing, resulting in the loss of precious lives and injuries.

I sincerely pray for the repose of the deceased and bow my head in apology to the bereaved families. I also offer my heartfelt apologies once again to those injured and their families.

Our company is mobilizing all its capabilities to fully support the victims and manage the aftermath of the accident, and we are actively cooperating with relevant authorities for prompt site recovery and accurate determination of the accident cause.

We will sincerely participate in all investigations and do our utmost in taking necessary measures, and we will establish and thoroughly implement countermeasures to prevent such accidents from recurring in the future.

Once again, I offer my sincere condolences and deep sympathy to the bereaved families.

I will briefly explain the overview of the construction project.

The client for this project is Korea Expressway Corporation. The location spans from Yangdae-ri, Ipjang-myeon, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam Province to In-ri, Seoun-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi Province. The contract amount is 205.3 billion KRW, and the construction period is 84 months from December 2019 to December 2026.

The project consists of a 4.1 km road, nine bridges, and three tunnels. It is being jointly executed by our company (57.2%), Hoban Industrial (34.4%), and Beomyang Construction (8.4%).

As of February 24, 2025, the progress rate was 61.7%.