Tragedy echoes fatal accident at Obong station four years ago

The headquarters of Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) in Dong-gu, Daejeon [Yonhap]
The headquarters of Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) in Dong-gu, Daejeon [Yonhap]

A Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) employee was killed Saturday after being struck by a freight car during a shunting operation at a railway yard in Gyeonggi Province.

According to the Seoul Railway Special Judicial Police and fire department authorities, the accident occurred around 7:20 a.m. Saturday at Uiwang station on the Gyeongbu Line in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. The victim, identified only by his surname initial A, was a full-time Korail employee in his 50s.

Shunting involves connecting or separating freight cars. Police believe A was monitoring the tracks and communicating with the train operator when the accident occurred.

Firefighters arrived at the scene after receiving a report from station personnel and found A already dead.

The Seoul Railway Special Judicial Police said it plans to investigate with the Ministry of Employment and Labor whether safety protocols — including the requirement for two-person teams — were properly followed at the time of the accident. Korail said it would implement emergency safety measures and develop plans to prevent a recurrence.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also said Saturday morning that it would "identify the cause of the accident, take strict measures in accordance with a zero-tolerance principle, and establish reinforced safety measures." Similar accidents, however, have continued to recur.

In November 2022, a Korail employee in his 30s died while conducting freight train shunting operations inside Obong station yard in Uiwang. In August 2024, two workers were also killed at Guro station on Seoul Subway Line 1 when they were struck by a maintenance vehicle.


nyang@heraldcorp.com