South Korea: Korail targets international expansion
By Benjámin Zelki | July 1 2026
As well as expanding services domestically and putting more high speed trains in service, South Korea’s national operator is working on securing more contracts internationally. Kim Taeseung, newly appointed President & CEO of Korail, tells Benjámin Zelki about these aims and the prospect of expanding its international services.
First of all, congratulations on your appointment as President & CEO of national operator Korail in March. What is your core mission and which are your strategic priorities to focus on?
During my first 100 days, I visited stations, depots and control centres across the country to hear directly from frontline staff and define Korail’s future direction. These visits reaffirmed that safety and trust are what passengers and employees value most in rail services. With this in mind, Korail will work to strengthen passenger and freight services while continuing to expand suburban rail networks.
Korail is developing an ‘Energy Train’ to transport renewable fuels across the country. We are also preparing to join the RE100 global renewable energy initiative by installing solar power facilities on railway sites and building our own power generation infrastructure.
Hydrogen trains are another important part of this strategy, helping to reduce carbon emissions from energy production to operations.
Enhancing travel experience is another area of focus for Korail. We are expanding personalised services across the whole journey from ticket booking to connections with other transport modes and developing a mobility as a service platform that connects rail with other modes. This should make last-mile connectivity from railway stations to passengers’ final destinations more seamless.
We’ve reported that the merger of Korail and Supreme Railways is already under way. What is Korail’s view on the amalgamation, what benefits do you expect to see from it?
On February 25, some of Korail’s KTX and Supreme Railways’ SRT high speed services started to use the same termini at the Seoul end of the main north-south high speed rail axis. Until the change, each operator had used a separate terminus in Seoul; Korail trains ran to and from Seoul station, while Supreme Railways used Suseo in the southeast of the conurbation. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport is working to complete the merger of Korail and SR by the end of 2026.
Korail and SR started running revenue services formed of two trainsets in multiple, with each operator providing one half of the formation.
Integrating high speed rail services is essential to strengthen the competitiveness of South Korea’s railway system. Railways are interconnected systems in which rolling stock, traffic control, operations and maintenance must work closely together. Korail aims to improve both passenger convenience and safety with the integration.
One of the first changes passengers would notice is increased seat capacity. This would help ease the chronic shortage of seats on our network. Expanded capacity would increase revenue, while integration would reduce overlapping costs, potentially improving the financial stability.
Following the merger, a unified app will allow passengers to book both operators’ services in one place. Contactless self-service options will also be expanded to improve customer experience.
Savings from organisational integration will be reinvested in safety and service improvement projects, including digital transformation projects and the use of AI. Together, these investments will improve operational efficiency throughout the currently divided network.
A unified emergency response system would enable faster and more coordinated action during incidents. Standardised safety technologies, applied more widely across the network, will also help maintain consistent safety standards throughout the high speed rail system.
Korail will apply its digital safety management system across all rolling stock and lines now divided between SR and Korail.
Korail has 19 EMU-320 and 84 EMU-250 high speed electric multiple-units on order from Hyundai Rotem. On which routes will they be used?
It is a priority for Korail to expand access to rail services across the country. As part of this effort, Korail plans to introduce 17 EMU-320 trains with the maximum speed of 320 km/h on the busy Gyeongbu line that links Seoul to Busan in 2028. A further 13 EMU-260 trains with a maximum commercial speed of 260 km/h will be deployed on existing major routes and a new east–west line in Gangwon province. This will increase KTX regional coverage from 39% to around 53% by 2030. The new EMUs will offer improved ride comfort and onboard facilities.
Technology development for the EMU-370 high speed trainset designed for commercial operation at 370 km/h was completed in December 2025 as part of a 22.5bn won national R&D programme. These vehicles are scheduled to begin test runs from 2030. We are preparing to procure such trainsets with speeds of up to 370 km/h.
Hyundai Rotem delivered the first series built EMU-320 trainset to Korail in January.
Korail is also working to expand and improve rail services in underserved areas. Conventional train services have resumed on suspended routes such as the Jeongseon Line and Gyo-oe Line. Korail is also modernising 52 ageing stations which are more than 30 years old on these routes so that they can once again serve as regional hubs.
Korail also plans to expand tourist train operations, helping attract more visitors to regional communities and revitalise local economies. In the long term, we aim to cut travel times between major cities under 2 h by rail.
We’ve also reported the launch of the pioneering suburban rail service in Daegu in December 2024. What has been the operational experience so far and which other cities are being considered for similar networks?
The opening of the 61.9 km Daegyeong suburban rail line, that links Gumi in the northwest with Gyeongsan in the east, running through Daegu station, is an important example of the potential to expand suburban rail. It is emerging as a key transport corridor linking regional cities into a single commuting zone around Daegu. It is also South Korea’s first inter-regional suburban rail line outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Major destinations can now be reached in under 1 h, improving daily travel convenience.
The results are encouraging. The Daegyeong Line has shown clear demand for suburban rail services with around 5.13m journeys recorded in 2025.
The 61.9 km Daegyeong suburban rail line, that links Gumi in the northwest with Gyeongsan in the east, running through Daegu station opened in December 2024.
Following these results, the South Korean government plans to gradually expand metropolitan rail networks in other parts of the country. Korail is preparing further projects as part of this plan. These include the extension of the commuter services that started running on the Donghae Line between Bujeon station in Busan and Taehwagang station in Ulsan in December 2021.
A 9.7 km extension of this route between Taehwagang and Bukulsan in Ulsan is currently being upgraded for the service extension, which we expect to open later in 2026. We are also working to open the Chungcheong metropolitan railway in 2027, which will serve Daejeon. This 35.4 km service on the existing line would link Gyeryong in the southwest and Sintanjin north of Daejeon.
The plan for launching international rail services through North Korea has long been on the agenda. What is your vision about its implementation and its possible timescale?
In the long term, Korail aims to make the Korean Peninsula a key hub for Eurasian rail logistics. The priority is to ensure stable intercontinental railway operations as soon as conditions allow. This offers advantages in both transit time and costs. Given current uncertainties, however, Korail is taking a phased approach.
First, Korail is working to increase its participation in continental rail projects. Under an agreement announced in May 2024, containerised cargo is being taken by sea from Busan to the Chinese port of Lianyungang, from where rail takes over for the rest of the trip to Central Asian and European destinations. We have carried out twelve cargo shipments since signing an agreement to assess logistics models and market demand. We are building experience in international logistics and enhancing the regular freight services.
Second, Korail is establishing the regulatory framework for international railway operations. We are participating in multilateral organisations for accession to international agreements such as the SMGS agreement on international goods transport by rail. This will help standardise tariffs, customs clearance and transport contracts internationally, and simplify procedures for cross-border logistics.
Third, Korail is strengthening its capabilities for international railway operations. This includes expanding cooperation with other countries and gaining operational experience. We are also training specialists and upgrading operating systems in preparation for future transcontinental rail operations.
Can you tell us about Korail’s existing international co-operation agreements and projects, including the operation and maintenance of Manila’s future metro Line 7? Are there more such projects in the pipeline?
Korail signed a 150bn won, 10-year contract with Manila metro Line 7 concessionaire SMC MRT-7 Corp subsidiary of brewing, infrastructure and energy conglomerate San Miguel Corp in April 2025 for the operation and maintenance of Manila metro Line 7. Korail has already begun transferring its operation and maintenace expertise. Last year, we sent 28 employees to work on the preparations for the opening of the line, which is scheduled for the end of this year.
Kim Taeseung (left) was appointed as President and CEO of Korail in March.
We see the Manila Line 7 project is a key example of Korail’s overseas rail operations expertise. It marks Korail’s first overseas project providing end-to-end support across operations, rolling stock and IT systems.
In Uzbekistan, we are participating in a 270bn won project shared with Hyundai Rotem. The South Korean manufacturer is building six high speed trainsets for Uzbek national railway UTY, and Korail is providing rolling stock maintenance and workforce training. During my visit in early May, I saw its competitive project taking shape first-hand.
Korail is providing project management consultancy for the construction of a modern railway training centre in Tanzania. The project covers the construction of infrastructure, the establishment of a workforce training framework and the development of training materials. We are increasingly focusing on local training and workforce development internationally.
Since 2007, Korail has completed around 70 overseas projects and is currently involved in 21 more across 10 countries. Overseas business revenue has exceeded 20bn won for three consecutive years, indicating stable growth.
We aim to broaden our overseas business by entering into new markets including Latin America and the Middle East. We would also like to enter the information and communications technology and MaaS-related sectors, expanding our portfolio.
Korail is also participating in strengthening the ‘Team Korea’ cooperation model, bringing together state-owned enterprises, manufacturers and engineering firms to work on projects together. Korail also plans to participate in PPP projects.
What plans does Korail have to implement more use of AI, robotics and enhanced digitalisation in its business?
Korail is creating an operating environment where technology and people work together. To support this, we are pursuing AI-driven transformation in safety management, customer service, and workplace efficiency.
We are improving working conditions and measures to prevent industrial accidents. Scientific safety management tools are being applied across our worksites, including IoT-based real-time diagnosis of rolling stock, AI-based maintenance, and facility inspections using drones and robots.
Scientific safety management tools are being applied across Korail’s worksites, including IoT-based real-time diagnosis of rolling stock, AI-based maintenance, and facility inspections using drones and robots.
We are working on the development of an integrated safety management platform. Combining data on previous incidents and train operations, the platform will allow AI to identify potential risks and support real-time responses. This represents a shift from visual inspection-based safety management to a more predictive, data-driven approach.
To improve workplace efficiency, Korail has developed a Rail AI Hub. This system integrates and standardises data using AI to optimise train scheduling and crew planning. By reducing repetitive workloads, it enables employees to focus on more important decision-making. Korail is also establishing a railway IT centre to support stable large-scale data processing, strengthen disaster response, and ensure service continuity.
We understand that strengthening railway safety is among your key areas of focus. What is the work Korail is to be doing on this matter?
Korail aims to become a railway operator trusted by both passengers and employees through a sound safety culture, improved working conditions and strengthened safety regulations.
We are first focusing on building a people-centred safety culture. Korail has introduced channels that allow frontline employees to take an active role in identifying risks, discussing safety issues and suggesting improvements. Based on this, we are creating a virtuous cycle in which feedback from the frontline is reflected in management decisions and leads to further improvements in working conditions.
Korail is operating remote control devices for track access and building an integrated system to manage train operations and railway works real-time. We are also revising worksite safety rules to reduce uncertainty in the field and provide a safer working environment for employees.
Lastly, is there any message you would like to share with an international audience?
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to international railway partners who sent warm congratulatory messages on my appointment in March. Through international co-operation, Korail will work closely with partners around the world to help shape a sustainable future for rail.
Korail currently serves as Chair of the UIC Asia-Pacific Region. In that role, we hosted the Regional Assembly in June and discussed challenges shared with member organisations. Going forward, Korail will maintain active dialogue with overseas railway organisations and build trust through practical co-operation.
