President Hong Soon-man, a former vice mayor of Incheon, has been inaugurated in a ceremony on May 10 to take charge of management of the state-run Korea Railroad Corp. (Korail).
The nomination of Hong, 60, by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Aviation won approval from President Park Geun-hye last week.
The position has been vacant since Choi Yeon-hye resigned as Korail president to become a ruling party proportional representation candidate in the April 13 general election.
The new CEO of Korail, in his inaugural speech, said he will focus on safety as the foremost priority in running Korail. He said he will also reform the railroad transportation company’s operational structure to be ready for completion soon.
He went to Noryangjin Station in Seoul at 1 a.m. on the morning of his inauguration day to inspect first-hand what happened at the site of the derailing incident the day before. He listened to the official in charge of the investigation of the accident to find out the cause of the derailing of an electric train.
The government started accepting applications for the vacancy last month and 16 people applied.
Hong has had key positions in state-run organizations including the Ministry of Construction and Transportation and the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. He is best known for serving as head of the Korea Railroad Research Institute.
Yonhap News Agency quoted a government official as saying the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recently drew up a shortlist and recommended Hong to Cheong Wa Dae as the sole candidate.
The decision is interpreted as the government's move to halt growing criticism over "parachute appointees" for the Korail presidency, which have included former politicians or high-ranking government officials with no expertise in railroad operations.
Since Korea’s first railway linking Seoul and Incheon heralded the beginning of the modern age in the country in 1899, KORAIL has dedicated itself to the development of the national industry and economy for 115 years. President Hong said in his inaugural statement on the homepage of Korail, “Today, we remain committed to providing our customers with the world’s best service.
“We take ‘safety first’ as our management principle as we believe safety is a core value and top priority for the railway industry,” he said. “Also, we strive to be more than a mode of transport, but rather a partner for a happy life offering a memorable cultural experience for everyone.
“We also contribute to the improvement of the quality of life and regional development, with our high-speed service enabling the public to travel between any two locations in the country within a couple of hours and our tourist trains revitalizing regional economies.”
The era of the trans-Korean and trans-Eurasian railway is coming where a train runs from Seoul all the way to Europe. Preparing for this new era, KORAIL will continue to offer a new vision for the future of the Korean railway and create hope for everyone, Hong said.
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