Two Seoul city officials facing investigation for removing bus stop wall where man died

The family of a man who died after leaning on an empty wall of a bus stop in western Seoul has filed a complaint against two public officials at the city government’s city transportation office for causing death through occupational negligence.

Digital signage installed at a bus stop near Hongik University in western Seoul displays advertisements. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Seoul Metropolitan Government officials are facing police investigations for allegedly failing to take appropriate measures after removing a wall at a bus stop.

According to the Seoul Mapo Police Precinct, the family of a man who died after leaning on an empty wall of a bus stop in western Seoul filed a complaint against two public officials at the city government’s city transportation office for causing death through occupational negligence.

According to authorities on Wednesday, a man in his 50s fell after leaning on a bus stop at Hongik University Station in western Seoul around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 last year, believing that there was an advertising wall installed at the stop. The man fell into a coma, sustaining severe head injuries, and died two weeks later on Dec. 19.

The police said they have accepted the complaint and investigated the accusers, and they are anticipating investigating the officials.

The bus stop where the incident occurred usually has 2.5-meter (8.2 feet) wide and 1.7-meter tall digital signage along a 15-meter advertising wall.

The city government had requested the company managing the digital signage to remove them, as their contract had ended in August. However, as the company failed to comply, the city government accused them of violating the Public Property and Commodity Management Act in September last year.

The company subsequently removed the signage and temporarily taped the empty wall for safety in November. The accident occurred a month after the wall was removed, during a period when the city government was in the process of repairing the walls while seeking a new company. A plastic wall has since been installed on the advertising wall after the accident.

A plastic wall installed at the bus stop near Hongik University. The wall was installed at the bus stop after a man in his 50s died after leaning on the empty wall last month. [SON SUNG-BAE]

Neither the city government nor the management company has taken responsibility for the incident.

“We are deeply sorry for the resident’s death,” an official at the Seoul Metropolitan Government said. “Around 1,000 bus stops are managed by one public official. If the company had removed the signage as promised and taken appropriate safety measures, the accident would not have occurred.”

The management company said the city government pressured them to demolish advertising signage that was durable enough to be installed for a longer period.

BY SON SUNG-BAE, CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]