Lee Seonghae Resigns as National Railroad Authority Chairman... Signal of Lee Administration's Public Institution Overhaul

Vacancies at the Top of All Three Major Railway Organizations
Following SR and KORAIL, National Railroad Authority Chairman Steps Down

Lee Seonghae, Chairman of the National Railroad Authority, recently expressed his intention to resign. Following the resignations at SR and Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), the departure of the National Railroad Authority chairman has resulted in an unprecedented situation where the top positions at all three major railway organizations are vacant. This series of resignations is being interpreted as a signal that the Lee Jaemyung administration is accelerating its overhaul of public institutions.

According to railway authorities on August 29, Chairman Lee recently submitted his resignation to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It is reported that he decided to step down after becoming the subject of an inspection by the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

Chairman Lee of the National Railroad Authority, who took office in February last year, still had one year and six months remaining in his term, which was set to end in February 2027.

In June, Lee Jongguk, President of SR, resigned to take responsibility for the results of the public institution management evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Han Moonhee, President of KORAIL, expressed his intention to resign on August 21, immediately after the Mugunghwa train accident that resulted in casualties on the Gyeongbu Line in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang Province.

As of now, there are eight affiliated agencies under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport where the head's term has either expired or the head has expressed an intention to resign.