Korea National Railway Chairman Takes Office: "Safety Is the Top Priority in Decision-Making"

[Financial News] The ninth chairman of Korea National Railway said on the 1st, in his first remarks after taking office, that he would make "safety the top standard in all decision-making." He said the agency would move away from a response model that steps in only after accidents occur and instead build a preventive safety system that uses data to identify risks in advance.
At the inauguration ceremony held that day at the headquarters in Daejeon, the chairman presented "returning to principles and fundamentals" as the agency's management slogan for building a future-oriented Korea National Railway. He said the agency would be run on the basis of management that stays faithful to the basics and principles, creating an organization that operates through systems.
To that end, he outlined four key management directions: building a preventive management system centered on safety, establishing fairness and trust based on principles and procedures, strengthening field-oriented project management, and leading Future Mobility centered on rail.
The agency will apply clear principles and standards to its operations. It also plans to manage decision-making processes with data and establish a system in which employees are evaluated based on performance, with the goal of improving fairness and trust.
In rail project management, the agency will build systems so that field input can be reflected in decision-making. It also plans to strengthen project management so that, when issues affecting the public's mobility rights and regional development arise, problems can be identified and resolved on site.
In the Future Mobility sector, the agency will expand links between rail and other modes of transport and apply artificial intelligence (AI), data and digital technologies across its projects. It also plans to promote the overseas expansion of the rail technologies and project experience it has accumulated. The chairman previously served as a professor in the Department of Urban Engineering at Yonsei University and held posts including president of the Korean Society of Transportation and member of the National Transport Committee. He has built research and practical experience in rail and transportation planning.
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter