Korean-style high-speed rail to run in Uzbekistan, minister says at Railway Day ceremony

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will hold the "2026 Railway Day" ceremony Wednesday afternoon in Jung-gu, Seoul, sharing achievements including the launch of Korean-style high-speed rail service in Uzbekistan.

The ceremony is held under the theme "K-Rail Opens the World, Korea Grows Together," reflecting pride in Korean rail's global expansion and the belief that the railway industry's growth drives national development.

At the event, 12 individuals who contributed to railway industry development, overseas market expansion and railway safety will receive national decorations, presidential commendations or ministerial citations, while 98 others will receive ministerial commendations and two will receive ministerial awards.

A commemorative seminar on "Cooperation for Railway Industry Development and Overseas Expansion" will be held as a side event. Embassies from the Czech Republic, Morocco, Tanzania, Egypt, the Philippines and Germany will introduce their countries' railway infrastructure and industry. The National Railway Network Authority, Korea Railroad Corporation, the Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Support Corporation (KIND) and Korea National University of Transportation will present overseas expansion strategies.

Award-winning works from the 12th Railway Literature Contest and the 2nd "Capturing Railways" Video Contest will also be on display.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-deok plans to highlight key achievements — including the start of operations last month of Korean-style high-speed rail vehicles exported to Uzbekistan and the signing of a metro vehicle export contract with Vietnam worth 490 billion won ($319 million) — crediting "the sweat and dedication of Korea's railway workers." Kim is also expected to pledge to "actively support the development of next-generation high-speed rail technology and the global expansion of K-Rail."

Kim is also expected to stress the primacy of safety, saying, "No matter how fast the train, no matter how advanced the technology, nothing can come before safety," and urging railway workers to "always think that you can never be too prepared when it comes to safety."

Around 400 people are expected to attend, including officials from the ministry, the Korea Railway Industry Association, the National Railway Network Authority, Korea Railroad Corporation and SR, as well as representatives from related industries. Railway Day falls on June 28 and was designated at a Cabinet meeting chaired by the president in 2018 to mark the founding of the Railway Bureau — the country's first railway administrative body — on that date in 1894.