Gyeonggi Deputy Governor Kim Daesoon Urges “Sinansan Line Collapse a Man-Made Disaster… Resume with Safety as Top Priority”

Kim Daesoon, Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs of Gyeonggi Province, received a briefing on April 10 regarding the progress of the tunnel collapse accident in Section 5-2 of the Sinansan Line double-track railway and urged both the project operator and the construction company to thoroughly implement measures to prevent recurrence.

Kim Daesoon, Deputy Governor for Administration 2 of Gyeonggi Province, is receiving a briefing on the progress of the tunnel collapse accident in Section 5-2 of the Sinansanseon double-track railway on the 10th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

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Previously, on April 2, the Construction Accident Investigation Committee of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that the accident occurred due to a combination of issues, including a miscalculation of the central pillar load (underestimated by a factor of 2.5), failure to recognize a fault zone in the ground, and unqualified personnel observing the tunnel face, indicating overall deficiencies in design, construction, and supervision.

Deputy Governor Kim instructed Nextrain, the project operator, and POSCO E&C, the construction company, to immediately implement on-site the recurrence prevention measures suggested in the ministry’s investigation, such as strengthening ground surveys and establishing safety management standards for the central pillar.

He also emphasized that, as the overall project schedule will inevitably need adjustment due to the extension required for additional safety reinforcements, any attempt to excessively shorten the construction period should be excluded, and a work schedule prioritizing safety must be established.

Currently, following the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s order to halt work, the accident site has undergone initial physical restoration, including the installation of temporary soil walls at both ends of the tunnel and backfilling of the collapsed section. In cooperation with the city of Gwangmyeong and the central government, infrastructure measures to restore residents’ daily lives-such as rerouting the gas supply network and electrical communication lines, as well as repaving a 1.1 km section of Gahak-ro for a detour road-have also been completed.

Gyeonggi Province plans to continue management and oversight in close cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the National Railroad Authority, and other related agencies until construction resumes with a safety design reflecting the investigation committee’s findings, ensuring the Sinansan Line is completed safely and with public trust.

Route map and accident location. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

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Deputy Governor Kim stated, “The design errors and poor construction management revealed in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s investigation are classic examples of man-made disasters. Please do your utmost to address civil complaints at the surface level and to fully support recovery efforts so that inconvenience to residents due to construction delays is minimized.”

The Sinansan Line double-track railway is a metropolitan rail line spanning 44.9 kilometers with 19 stations, connecting Yeouido in Seoul to Ansan. It was originally scheduled to open in December 2026, and as of March this year, the project was 69.84% complete.

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