An audit has uncovered serious lapses in the operational oversight of freight trains in South Korea, revealing that a train marked for scrapping had traveled over 1220 km despite being declared unfit for operation. The investigation, led by the Board of Audit and Inspection, indicated that the Korea Railroad Corporation failed to act on instructions to cease operations of these unsafe vehicles, with records showing that some freight cars had operated multiple times after their unsuitability was confirmed between 2019 and 2024. Alarmingly, this includes at least five cars that continued operations for 22 separate trips before they were finally scrapped last October.

In addition to the improper handling of unsafe trains, the audit also spotlighted significant issues in managing engineer conduct concerning alcohol consumption. A case emerged where an engineer was found to have operated a train for three hours while suspected to be under the influence. As per the regulations, a mandatory alcohol check should have been conducted prior to operation, yet the responsible party delegated this duty to the engineer himself, who falsely reported that he was fit to operate, leading to the ominous continuation of the train's service.

Moreover, the report also examined prior incidents related to tunnel collapses in construction zones, revealing that safety standards were neglected by contractors, with construction proceeding under hazardous conditions that exceeded safety criteria for ground subsidence and groundwater levels. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has stringent regulations requiring immediate cessation of operations under such conditions, but the contractors involved ignored these protocols, raising concerns over systemic safety issues within South Korea's railway management.