CEO Issues Official Apology: "Will Not Evade Responsibility for Investigation Results"
Promises Support for Bereaved Families and Full Cooperation with Investigation
Another Fatality Just Eight Months After April's Gwangmyeong Section Accident
Vice Minister Kang Hee-eop of the Ministry of Land Leads Emergency Response On-Site
Comprehensive Safety Review Planned for Entire Gwangmyeong?Yeouido Section
Song Chi-young, CEO of POSCO E&C, the main contractor for the Sinansan Line double-track railway construction, issued an official apology regarding the fatal accident at the site. Following another major industrial accident just eight months after the collapse in the Gwangmyeong section last April, the government has announced plans for a comprehensive investigation and strict penalties.
Seven workers were buried in an accident at the Sinansan Line construction site near Yeouido Station in Seoul. The photo shows the accident site on the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News.
On December 18, Song Chi-young released a statement in his own name, saying, "As the company's top executive, I feel a profound sense of devastation and heavy responsibility," and added, "Despite implementing company-wide safety enhancement measures to prevent recurrence after the accident in April, another serious accident has occurred, for which there can be no excuse."
He continued, "We are currently conducting a thorough investigation together with the relevant authorities and will cooperate sincerely and transparently throughout the entire process. We will not evade any responsibilities based on the investigation results, and we will fulfill all necessary support for the bereaved families to the very end."
The accident occurred at around 1:22 p.m. on December 18 at the underground tunnel of the 'Sinansan Line Double-Track Railway Section 4-2' near Yeouido Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. POSCO E&C is the contractor for Section 4-2. During the work, a steel reinforcement mesh fell and covered the site, resulting in the death of one worker. Another worker who was working nearby sustained minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. Immediately after the accident, all workers in the tunnel were urgently evacuated to the surface, but questions are mounting regarding compliance with safety regulations and the possibility of equipment defects.
POSCO E&C was also involved in a safety accident on the Sinansan Line last April. At that time, during the construction of a ventilation shaft for Section 5-2 in Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong, the site and a nearby road collapsed, resulting in the death of one worker. POSCO E&C was also the contractor for Section 5-2. Including these incidents, a total of five workers have died at POSCO E&C construction sites this year alone.
Kang Hee-eop, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, visited the site in Yeongdeungpo-gu immediately after the accident, personally inspecting the inside of the underground tunnel and overseeing the response. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has determined that this accident was due to a "lack of a safety management system" and has announced follow-up measures. An official from the ministry stated, "If investigations by the police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor reveal violations such as negligence in safety management, we plan to take strict action in accordance with relevant laws."
Additionally, to prevent similar accidents from recurring, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will conduct a comprehensive investigation of site management and safety measures not only at Section 4-2, where the accident occurred, but also across the entire Sinansan Line (including the Gwangmyeong-Yeouido section). Based on the results of the investigation, immediate corrective actions will be taken if necessary, and a detailed safety diagnosis of the entire construction project will be carried out.
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