Seoul Metro 'Safety Command Tower' Missing: How Long Will the Seoul Subway Face a 'Safety Gap'?

Questions Raised Over Seoul City Council's Appointment of Safety Management Director as Technical Director Selected 4 Months Ago Through Public Recruitment... Annual Deficit Exceeding 700 Billion Won and Opaque Management Situation Draw Attention to Council's Response

Kim Sang-beom, President of Seoul Metro, is visiting Gunja Vehicle Depot and having a conversation with officials since his inauguration.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Concerns continue to rise that the Seoul subway, which serves about 6 million citizens daily in Seoul and the metropolitan area, is falling into a state of safety complacency.

On the morning of the 7th, a train on the upward line heading towards Sanggye-dong at Gireum Station on Seoul Subway Line 4 came to a stop, triggering an emergency situation at the highest alert level.

As a result, Seoul citizens are increasingly worried that another subway accident might occur.

Seoul Metro Corporation (President Kim Sang-beom) held a recruitment process at the end of last year for the positions of Head of Technology Division and Head of Vehicle Division, but only appointed the Head of Vehicle Division and did not appoint the first-choice candidate for the Head of Technology Division.

Then, four months ago, the Safety Management Headquarters Chief, who was selected through recruitment, was abruptly reassigned as the Head of Technology Division, leaving the 'Safety Command Tower' position of Safety Headquarters Chief vacant and operating under an acting system led by the Safety Planning Director (Grade 2). This 'incomprehensible situation' has drawn attention to the background behind these decisions.

Members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Transportation Committee stated, "We cannot understand why President Kim Sang-beom reassigned the Safety Management Headquarters Chief, who is the most important figure for the 'citizens' feet'?the Seoul subway?to the Head of Technology Division," raising questions about the background, and future responses from the council members are being closely watched.

One Seoul city council member said, "I still do not understand why President Kim Sang-beom suddenly reassigned the Safety Management Headquarters Chief, who was selected through recruitment, to the Head of Technology Division," adding, "When the council convenes, we plan to thoroughly investigate what happened during the process."

Even citizens who have shown little interest in internal issues of the Transportation Corporation criticize, "From a citizen's perspective, is the Head of Technology Division a more important position than the Safety Headquarters Chief?"

Accordingly, Woo Hyung-chan, Chair of the City Council Transportation Committee, issued a press release on the 7th emphasizing that the Safety Management Headquarters Chief is the most senior among the six division heads within Seoul Metro Corporation and holds the most important position responsible for thoroughly managing and supervising the safe operation of the subway to prevent incidents like the screen door accidents that occurred at Gangnam Station, Guui Station, and Gimpo Airport Station in the past.

Nevertheless, leaving the Safety Management Headquarters Chief position vacant, which is the head of subway safety management, could be perceived as Seoul Metro Corporation neglecting citizen safety in subway operations. He also stated that the reassignment of the Safety Management Headquarters Chief, who was appointed only four months ago, should be carefully reconsidered in terms of whether it is appropriate for the safe operation of the Seoul subway and the potential impact of such personnel changes.

Chairman Woo criticized, "If the Head of Technology Division was so important that Seoul Metro Corporation operated with the Safety Management Headquarters Chief as acting, they should have carefully considered not appointing the Head of Technology Division, but they failed to do so, which is regrettable."

The city council members appear unlikely to easily cooperate with the corporation in the future, as President Kim Sang-beom has failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the sudden reassignment of the Safety Headquarters Chief to the Head of Technology Division during the appointment process.

In particular, the corporation reported a snowballing deficit of 702.8 billion KRW last year due to losses from free rides and COVID-19, and as of the end of last year, total liabilities reached approximately 5.0311 trillion KRW. This situation makes cooperation with the government and Seoul Metropolitan Council more urgent than ever, and the future management outlook of the corporation is becoming increasingly uncertain, drawing significant attention.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.