Korea Railroad Corporation Denies Seoul's Claims of Missing Rebar in GTX-A Project

The Korea Railroad Corporation (KRC) has firmly denied media reports claiming that the city of Seoul notified them three times about missing rebar in the GTX-A project at the Samsung Station section.

In an official statement on May 18, KRC stated, "While it is true that Seoul submits monthly construction management reports, the issue of missing rebar in the Samsung Station section was not included in the 'Summary of Key Contents' of the report, and it was reported as 'not applicable' under the 'Construction Failure Cases' section. This made it impossible for KRC to be aware of the facts in advance."

KRC further clarified that details regarding the missing rebar could only be partially identified in the extensive report, specifically in the individual work logs of construction managers. They emphasized that the inclusion of certain phrases in the vast amount of data submitted under relevant laws cannot be considered formal reporting.

Regarding the timeline of their awareness, KRC criticized the delay in reporting from the city. They noted, "On April 24, the city sent an email to KRC's personnel requesting attendance at a consultation meeting regarding column reinforcement, which seemed to substitute for the report on the missing rebar. After KRC strongly requested a factual report from the city and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the city officials attempted to delay the report. It was only after repeated requests that KRC became aware of the specific details on April 29."

KRC expressed regret that despite ongoing coordination through regular meetings and site inspections among the Ministry of Land, KRC, and the city regarding the non-stop operation of the GTX-A at Samsung Station, the city had not reported or discussed any significant defects affecting the opening until April 29.

Finally, KRC stated that they plan to thoroughly verify the safety of the reinforcement plans established by the city and the existing structures.

A KRC public relations official remarked, "Regarding the city's claim that they submitted related reports to KRC through inquiries in the National Assembly, we have confirmed the actual contents of the extensive construction management reports with the relevant departments. Given the seriousness of the matter, an audit of KRC is expected to take place soon."