One year after City Hall crash, Seoul prioritizes older driver safety and pedestrian protections

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One year after City Hall crash, Seoul prioritizes older driver safety and pedestrian protections

Published: 01 Jul. 2025, 10:48 Updated: 01 Jul. 2025, 18:47

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Flowers and messages are seen at the site of the Seoul City Hall crash that took place on July 1, 2024, on July 15, 2024. [NEWS1]

On the first anniversary of a deadly crash near City Hall in central Seoul that killed nine people, concerns grow over the rising number of traffic accidents caused by older drivers, prompting a focus on improved pedestrian protections and stricter licensing regulations.

The incident occurred on July 1 last year, when a vehicle driven by a 69-year-old man, surnamed Cha, sped down a one-way street in the wrong direction and plowed into a sidewalk crowded with pedestrians, injuring five and killing nine.

A district court found Cha guilty of gross negligence, citing his failure to properly operate the vehicle’s pedals, and sentenced him to seven and a half years in prison. However, Cha continues to claim that the accident was caused by sudden unintended acceleration due to a vehicle defect, and is appealing the verdict.

The case has fueled growing concern over the dangers posed by older drivers, whose numbers — and accident rates — are both on the rise.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, city officials began implementing pedestrian safety improvements. The Seoul Metropolitan Government installed high-impact vehicle barriers at the crash site.

These reinforced guardrails, capable of withstanding an 8-ton vehicle crashing at 55 kilometers per hour (43 miles per hour) and a 15-degree angle, cost 400,000 won ($300) per meter to install, twice the cost of standard pedestrian fencing.

Reinforced guardrails are seen installed at the site of the Seoul City Hall crash that killed nine people on July 1, 2024. [NEWS1]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has since identified 101 high-risk pedestrian zones across the city and is reinforcing them with similar protective barriers. It has also upgraded signage at 58 one-way streets to improve visibility, replacing traditional signs with LED versions.

“We will continue identifying accident-prone areas and upgrading them accordingly,” a Seoul official said on Monday.

But experts argue that more systemic reforms are needed to prevent similar incidents, particularly as Korea’s older driving population grows.

Traffic accidents caused by drivers aged 65 and older rose from 31,072 in 2020 to 42,369 last year — a 36.4 percent jump, according to Korea Road Traffic Authority data.

Over the same period, the total number of traffic accidents declined from 209,654 to 196,349. Older drivers now account for a record 21.6 percent of all traffic accidents, up from 14.8 percent in 2020.

The 69-year-old driver surnamed Cha, who was convicted for driving a vehicle into a sidewalk near Seoul City Hall on July 1, 2024, killing nine people, walks into Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, western Seoul, on Feb. 12. [NEWS1]

The main cause of accidents involving older drivers is a decline in physical function due to aging. Pedal misoperation is also common. A study by the Samsung Traffic Safety Research Institute found that 25.7 percent of pedal misapplication accidents from 2019 to 2024 were caused by drivers aged 65 or older.

In response, Seoul has proposed that the central government adopt a conditional driver’s license system, which would limit older drivers to daylight hours or restrict their daily driving distance to under 100 kilometers. The proposal was raised at a public forum held jointly with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission last September.

“Conditional licenses aren’t about taking away the right to drive but about enabling safe, continued driving,” said Han Sang-jin, a professor of city planning at Seoul National University who presented the proposal at the forum.

Seoul also offers a 200,000-won transit card to encourage drivers over 70 to voluntarily give up their licenses, but uptake has been minimal.

Reinforced guardrails are seen installed at the site of the Seoul City Hall crash that killed nine people on July 1, 2024. [NEWS1]

To further prevent pedal misapplication accidents, Seoul has called for the introduction of safety devices similar to those being adopted in Japan. The Japanese government recently announced revisions to its Road Transport Vehicle Law requiring new vehicles from 2028 to include systems that limit acceleration when an obstacle is detected within 1 to 1.5 meters (3.2 to 4.9 feet) in front of the vehicle.

The policy was spurred by a 2019 accident in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, in which an 87-year-old former high-ranking official mistook the accelerator for the brake and killed two people while injuring nine others.

“On the anniversary of the City Hall crash, we are reviewing our safety measures and reaffirming our commitment to traffic policies that prioritize pedestrian safety,” said Yeo Jang-kwon, director of Seoul’s Transportation Bureau.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN EUN-HWA [[email protected]]