Police raided the headquarters of a Seoul subway operator Thursday as part of their probe into the cause of the accident that killed a 19-year-old maintenance worker on a station platform late last month.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency dispatched around 100 officers to raid some 10 organizations, including the head offices of Seoul Metro in the southern part of the capital. Eunsung PSD, a subcontractor who had hired the victim -- identified only by his surname Kim - was also included on the raid list.
Police said they will confiscate accounting books and other documents related to contracts between the subway operator and its subcontractors to find out structural problems behind irregularities, as well as the subway operator's lax supervision.
The raid came a few days after Mayor Park Won-soon officially apologized for the accident and vowed to eradicate corruption rampant in the subway industry that poses a direct threat to safety of the workers.
In late May, Kim was hit by a train while fixing screen doors on the station platform in Seoul. Public outrage followed as the junior employee was found to have been working alone when he should have had a partner.
Safety regulations are sometimes overlooked due to manpower shortages, said industry sources. (Yonhap)
