Korea Expressway Corp. records 6 deaths, LH 3, Korail 1; 7 seriously injured

Korea Expressway Corp. and LH drop from rating 3 to rating 4; Korail holds at rating 3

Officials from Korail and related agencies inspect a section of the Gyeongbu Line near the Cheongdo bullfighting arena in Hwayangeum, Cheongdo-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, on Sept. 19 following an accident. [Yonhap]
Officials from Korail and related agencies inspect a section of the Gyeongbu Line near the Cheongdo bullfighting arena in Hwayangeum, Cheongdo-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, on Sept. 19 following an accident. [Yonhap]

Ten workers died in industrial accidents last year at sites operated by Korea Expressway Corporation, Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) and Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail), according to a new analysis. The safety ratings of Korea Expressway Corp. and LH each fell by one notch.

Rep. Bok Gi-wang of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, analyzed safety management data from three state-run enterprises under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. He found that work-related accident fatalities in 2025 totaled six at Korea Expressway Corp., three at LH and one at Korail. Serious-injury cases from major accidents numbered seven — six at Korea Expressway Corp. and one at Korail.

[Provided by Rep. Bok Gi-wang's office]
[Provided by Rep. Bok Gi-wang's office]

In the Ministry of Economy and Finance's 2025 public institution safety management rating review, Korea Expressway Corp. and LH both dropped from rating 3 (average) to rating 4 (inadequate). Korail held at rating 3.

Korea Expressway Corp. recorded the highest toll among the three agencies, with six fatalities and six serious injuries. LH saw three deaths, while Korail recorded one fatality and one serious injury.

"The loss of 10 workers' lives in a single year at major public enterprise sites — combined with a downgrade in safety ratings — is not something that can be taken lightly," Bok said. He called for stronger joint safety accountability centered on prime contractors, urging state-owned project owners to fulfill genuine safety obligations at every stage from design through construction.


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