The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are escalating a dispute over delays to the Samseong Station section of the Capital Region Express Railway (GTX) under Yeongdong-daero in Seoul's Gangnam-gu. Construction is currently suspended after reinforcement bars were found to be missing from pillars on the fifth basement level. Seoul said an external expert consultation and an interim detailed safety diagnosis found no current structural safety problem, with the structure rated Grade A. It argues that GTX-A trains should be allowed to pass through Samseong Station without stopping while pillar reinforcement proceeds. The ministry says assessing current safety is not enough and that it must verify overall structural performance, including whether steel plates and concrete pillars can bond and share loads. A joint government inspection, originally due to end in July, was extended to November 20, while three-dimensional structural analysis continues and the reinforcement method is expected to be finalized after November. Seoul plans to wrap the pillars in steel plates and fill gaps with epoxy resin but says it will follow another method selected by the ministry. The dispute also covers responsibility for delays and compensation. The ministry has been paying SG Rail an average of 8.2 billion Korean won a month since last year for losses tied to the delayed opening and plans to seek compensation from Seoul, while the city rejects liability for costs caused by the extended inspection. The five-underground-level, approximately 170,000-square-meter transfer center has been under construction since 2021 and is intended to connect GTX-A, GTX-C and subway Lines 2 and 9. Its opening is needed for continuous GTX-A travel between Paju, Gangnam and Hwaseong, while reduced Yeongdong-daero lanes have worsened congestion.