Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kim Yun-duk conducted an emergency inspection on Wednesday at the site of a collapse during demolition work on the Seosomun overpass in Seoul, ordering all-out efforts to prevent further accidents and restore normal railway operations.
At around 2:31 p.m., part of the structure collapsed during demolition work on the Seosomun overpass. The collapsed structure fell onto overhead catenary lines of the nearby Gyeongui Line, causing a power outage on the Sinchon Station–Seoul Station section. As a result, services on the Haengsin Station–Seoul Station and Seoul Station–Cheongnyangni Station sections were suspended, halting operations on some routes. KTX trains have also experienced delays on some sections.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) established a Central Accident Response Headquarters immediately after the incident. Minister Kim took charge as head of the headquarters, and the director of the Railway Bureau, head of the Railway Facility Safety Division, railway safety inspectors, the railway special judicial police, and inspectors from the Korea Transportation Safety Authority were dispatched to the scene. Korea Railroad Corp. (Korail) is adjusting its operating plans to minimize service disruptions, with detailed delay information being provided through the Korail website and the Korail Talk app.
Minister Kim was returning to Seoul after a safety inspection of the Bujeon-Masan Line the previous day and an inspection of the Gadeokdo New Airport construction site earlier that morning when he received the accident report and immediately headed to the scene. After being briefed by on-site officials on the accident outline and current situation, he conducted an in-depth review of safety measures to prevent further damage.
Minister Kim ordered officials to "thoroughly prevent secondary accidents such as additional collapses and ensure worker safety." He added, "We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and swiftly conduct urgent safety inspections of similar sites to strengthen safety management so that the public does not feel anxious."
MOLIT plans to make all-out efforts to respond to the accident and support recovery in cooperation with related agencies including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the Korean National Police Agency.
