After Series of Highway Accidents, Ministry of Land Launches Direct Inspections of Korea Expressway Corporation Regional Headquarters

Director General of the Road Bureau Leads On-Site Inspections
Promoting Vigilance and Strengthening Management

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has launched a comprehensive inspection of regional headquarters of Korea Expressway Corporation to strengthen highway safety management during the winter season. This initiative aims to directly assess on-site management and preemptively eliminate risk factors, amid growing public concern following a series of recent highway accidents.

Officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are inspecting the safety management status of highways during winter on the 21st. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

On the 21st, the Ministry announced that inspections will be conducted from that day through the 29th, targeting nine regional headquarters and 59 branch offices of Korea Expressway Corporation. Lee Uje, Director General of the Road Bureau, along with the heads of five divisions within the Road Bureau, will personally visit the sites, and the heads of road construction departments from five regional land management offices will also participate in the inspections.

This inspection is a follow-up measure to the Ministry’s work report in December 2025 and the public institution work report in January 2026. With the fatal accident on January 10 on the Seosan-Yeongdeok Expressway-where five people died in a multi-vehicle collision after passing through a section where de-icing agents had not been applied-the focus is on preventing similar incidents. The inspection will concentrate on the current status of winter safety management, including the prevention of black ice accidents, snow removal measures, and prevention of secondary accidents.

On the 10th, a multi-vehicle collision occurred on the Seosan-Yeongdeok Expressway in Sangju, Gyeongbuk, resulting in multiple casualties. Officials are managing the damaged trucks caused by the accident. Photo by Yonhap News.

Additionally, a road safety consultative body will be established between the regional land management offices and Korea Expressway Corporation to explore cooperation measures in the event of accidents or disasters. Lastly, the inspection will also address anti-corruption measures, such as preventing illegal subcontracting related to vested-interest projects, as highlighted in the work reports.

Lee Uje, Director General of the Road Bureau, stated, "Through this inspection, we will ensure that Korea Expressway Corporation, as a public institution, takes responsibility and provides safety management and services that meet public expectations. The Ministry will continue to closely cooperate with public institutions to regularly inspect on-site operations and work together to implement improvements that meet the standards of the public."