A government-led joint inspection uncovered 120 safety and management deficiencies in Seoul’s Hangang Bus system, prompting city officials to pledge comprehensive corrective action.

The audit, conducted from November 21 to 26 by ten government bodies and private experts, found 28 regulatory violations, 39 maintenance failures and 53 improvement recommendations across the route, vessels, terminals and the emergency response system.

Inspectors cited the absence of a functioning situation-reporting system between districts and operators, the lack of safety protocols for confined spaces and the lack of designated safety supervisors at terminals.

They also identified insufficient maintenance of riverside structures and low-depth zones, along with equipment issues, including faulty navigation markers, damaged fire detectors and unstable anchoring systems.

Recommended improvements included strengthening emergency communication drills, enhancing real-time monitoring, adjusting buoy locations, upgrading electrical protections and improving signage on low-clearance bridges.

Seoul said it would implement the mandated fixes, completing 75 items by year’s end and 32 more in the first half of next year, with the remaining 13 to follow after review.

The city added that it plans to resume service on the Apgujeong-to-Jamsil section in January after making safety upgrades and implementing remedial measures in response to last month’s grounding incident.