South Korea Escalator Mishap That Injured 14 Investigated

Authorities are investigating a June 8 incident at the Sunae Station on the Bundang Line of the South Korea subway in which an escalator reversed direction, injuring 14 passengers, three of whom were hospitalized, The Korea Herald is among outlets to report. Korea Railroad Corp. (Korail), which operates the subway, says it is investigating the incident with the Korea Elevator Safety Agency, a division of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. Korail said the malfunctioning escalator passed recent inspections, was installed in 2009 and had a supplementary emergency brake added in 2020. Issuing an apology, Korail “promised to spare no effort in improving its safety and facility maintenance procedures,” and says it plans to overhaul “all escalators across the nation” as it continues to investigate.