Train drivers turn to drink after witnessing suicides

Indelible horror: A driver who saw a woman throw herself in front of his train slouches over the control panel at Oryu-dong Station in Guro-gu, Seoul, April 26. / Courtesy of Naver blog

By Ko Dong-hwan

In the latest suicide on Seoul's railways, a woman in her 30s threw herself in front of a train at Oryu-dong Station in Guro-gu district about noon on April 26 and died at the scene.

Later that day, an online community on the Korean railway industry, “Nrail,” had a post of a photo of the train's driver. It showed him slouched over the controls of the Dongducheon Station-bound train.

The photo captures the horror of the incident and its effect on him.

The driver reportedly said he applied the emergency brake as soon as he saw the woman jump but it was too short a distance to halt the train.

According to a custom among Korean train drivers, those involved in these incidents join co-workers in a nighttime binge on the same day in an attempt to drink away what they witnessed.

Often suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the drivers are haunted with images of the suicidal jumpers and the aftermath. In the worst cases, some also kill themselves.

Korean railway operator Korail in 2013 employed three counselors to provide help to those involved in the suicide incidents. The company also gives drivers three to five days off. But employees say there are not enough counselors and there should be more time off. They say more systematic support is required for the PTSD patients to recover and get back to work.

Suicidal jumpers occasionally make the headlines in Seoul. Jungang Station in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, was infamous in 2017 for three cases ― two in August and one in December.