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Death toll in Bucheon market crash rises to 4

Published: 19 Nov. 2025, 13:38 Updated: 19 Nov. 2025, 16:42

KIM MIN-YOUNG
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A truck and storefronts are damaged after a crash in Jeil Market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, at 10:55 a.m. on Nov. 13. A total of 21 people, including three unresponsive, were transported to nearby hospitals. [YONHAP]

The death toll from a truck crash in a traditional market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, last week has risen from two to four, according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency on Wednesday.

A woman in critical condition and receiving treatment at Gachon University Gil Medical Center died Wednesday. A man who was being treated at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital died Tuesday. Both were visiting the market at the time of the incident.

They sustained serious injuries in the crash and were on life support, according to police. With the two women who were pronounced dead on the day of the accident, the total number of fatalities now stands at four.

Of the 17 other people injured, five have been discharged, while 12 remain hospitalized. None are currently in life-threatening condition.

The crash occurred at approximately 10:54 a.m. last Thursday inside a traditional market in Wonjong-dong, Bucheon. The driver of a 1-ton truck is suspected of accelerating about 130 meters (426.5 feet) into the market. Footage from the pedal black box that recorded the driver's footwell showed the driver pressing the accelerator rather than the brake at the time of the crash.

The driver was arrested Saturday on charges of causing injury under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents. During a pretrial detention hearing the same day, the Incheon District Court granted a detention warrant, citing the seriousness of the charges and flight risk.

The driver told reporters Saturday that he suffers from moyamoya disease, a rare condition in which arteries at the base of the brain progressively narrow, raising the risk of stroke and neurological impairment. “My memory keeps coming and going,” he said. He had previously told police that the disease does not affect his ability to drive, raising questions about the credibility of his statements.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]