Deadly train accident investigation sparks questions about workers' safety training

CHEONGDO, North Gyeongsang — Investigations revealed that two of the workers killed or injured in the Aug. 19 train accident in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang, were not listed in the original work plan for the day, raising the possibility that they may not have received adequate safety training before being deployed.

The work plan, prepared at 9 a.m. on the day of the accident, listed six subcontracted workers assigned to conduct inspections for the Mugunghwa train project, according to investigators and Democratic Party lawmakers Jeon Yong-gi and Lee Yeon-hee on Thursday.

The document indicated that they had undergone alcohol checks and safety gear inspections. However, the casualty list compiled after the accident included two different workers who were not on the initial plan, meaning the actual workers deployed differed from those listed.

A total of seven people were on site that day: one Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) employee, who was injured, and six subcontracted workers specializing in structural safety inspections, two of whom died and four of whom were injured. For unknown reasons, two subcontracted workers were sent as replacements, one of them a new employee who was among the deceased.

The firefighter response records initially listed the new employee as unidentified. Due to delays in verifying their identity, the family was not contacted until approximately four hours after the accident. Their funeral altar was set up a day later than that of the other deceased worker. The bereaved family protested to the authorities, saying they did not understand why the notification had been delayed when the company should have known who had gone to the work site.

The work plan also acknowledged the difficulty of moving along the steep railway embankment, or roadbed, where the team was working.

The detailed plan for the day included a warning about the risk of slipping on the steep slope and required workers to check for footholds and prepare a safe path before moving. Surviving workers later told police they had tried moving along the outside of the tracks but switched to the tracks when the slope narrowed. Safety rules required them to confirm with nearby stations via radio that no trains were approaching before crossing the tracks.

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police’s train accident investigation unit has secured work plans and login records from Korail to determine whether the warning devices functioned properly. Investigators also plan to question the engineer of Mugunghwa train No. 1903 to confirm whether radio communication and safety procedures were followed.

A transcript of the radio communication during the accident was released Thursday by Rep. Jeon’s office. The accident occurred at 10:49 a.m. on Aug. 19, when the engineer radioed Namseonghyeon and Cheongdo stations, saying that a casualty accident had happened and that the train had stopped.

Station officials asked whether there had been a collision and what kind of accident it was, to which the engineer repeatedly responded that "it was a casualty accident" and asked that control be notified. About seven minutes later, the engineer reported that someone was lying on the tracks and urgently requested more emergency vehicles, saying that "one ambulance would not be enough." When asked for clarification, the engineer replied that seven people were involved, with one unconscious and the others injured.

The workers had been inspecting slopes along the Gyeongbu Line that were damaged by recent flooding when the accident occurred. Because the train was an electric locomotive, it may have been too quiet for the workers to notice its approach from behind. Police said they secured testimony from an injured worker who heard the warning sound of the approaching train but could not see it. Korail confirmed that the workers carried four train-approach warning devices, three of which were found to have been switched on and functioning correctly.

Korail CEO Han Moon-hee offered to resign on Thursday, taking responsibility for the accident.

Meanwhile, North Gyeongsang Gov. Lee Cheol-woo requested that the incident be referred to as the “Mugunghwa train accident” instead of the “Cheongdo train accident,” citing concerns that linking the accident directly to Cheongdo could damage the county’s image.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY KIM JUNG-SEOK, BAEK KYUNG-SEO [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]