Safety management at Gyeongju World, a major amusement park in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, is under scrutiny following a series of recent ride-related accidents.

Although accidents involving rides have occurred repeatedly at the facility over the past few years, including this latest cabin detachment, they have not led to administrative or criminal penalties because there were no significant casualties.

Critics are now calling for improvements to the management system to prevent future accidents.

In the wake of this incident, the city of Gyeongju and local police have requested that Gyeongju World conduct safety inspections on all of its rides.

According to Gyeongju city officials and other sources on July 10, an empty cabin fell from the Time Rider, a large Ferris wheel-style ride at Gyeongju World, at 11:20 a.m. the previous day, July 9. The falling cabin subsequently collided with two other cabins carrying a total of five passengers.

The five passengers were taken to a hospital for medical examinations before returning home.

Unlike standard Ferris wheels where cabins are fixed, the Time Rider features cabins that move along a track. It was installed in June of last year.

Gyeongju World is currently investigating the cause of the accident.

It was a harrowing situation that could have resulted in major casualties had there been people inside the fallen cabin or if it had collided more violently with the other cabins.

This is not the first time an accident has occurred at Gyeongju World.

On November 9, 2024, the Glinda's Magic Pumpkin ride fell while in operation.

That ride consists of bus-shaped carriages carrying passengers that rotate around an axis like clock hands.

As the carriage was ascending, one side tilted and it fell to the ground.

Gyeongju World reported that although about 10 people were on board at the time, no one was injured.

An internal investigation by Gyeongju World revealed that the accident was caused by a defective part.

On July 14, 2022, a roller coaster carrying 24 people stalled 55 meters in the air, and passengers were brought down to the ground with the help of safety personnel after about 50 minutes.

As these ride accidents continue, citizens and tourists are expressing their concerns.

Following the Time Rider accident, critical comments appeared on online communities, such as "If there had been people inside, they would have been seriously injured" and "Who would want to go there if things like that fall?"

However, Gyeongju city officials and the Gyeongju Police Station stated that it is difficult to impose sanctions or penalties because there were no immediate casualties.

A city official said, "Under the Tourism Promotion Act, administrative action can be taken if an accident is considered serious, such as when it takes more than 30 minutes to stop operations and rescue personnel, or if multiple people are injured. In this case, all passengers were evacuated in 7 minutes, so it does not qualify for administrative action."

A police official explained, "If someone had been injured, it would be subject to an investigation for charges such as professional negligence resulting in injury, but since no one was hurt, it is not a subject for investigation."

After the accident, Gyeongju World blocked reporters from accessing the site and provided its position via email without taking phone calls.

The company stated that it has suspended the operation of the Time Rider and decided to conduct safety inspections in cooperation with the manufacturer.

In the email, the company stated, "The cabin in question was empty, and the point of detachment was in a safety isolation zone inaccessible to visitors, so there were no casualties," adding, "We will not resume operation of this ride until safety is ensured."

(Photo: Yonhap News)