[5] The merger of SR Corporation and the national passenger operator Korail has been repeatedly mooted and fallen through; presently the company remains an independent competitor to the incumbent's KTX services.

[citation needed] In December 2016, SR Corporation officially launched SRT (Super Rapid Train) services, initially running between Suseo–Busan on a newly-opened high speed line.

[8] SR Corporation has claimed that its presence has increased competition, driving down ticket prices and raising service quality overall, while also contributing to repay the accumulated debts from the construction of Korea’s high-speed network.

[11][13] During January 2023, Lee Jong-guk, SR’s newly appointed CEO, announced that the company would be pursuing greater independence from its majority shareholder, Korail; furthermore, that a comprehensive review of all existing contracts would be conducted.

[citation needed] In August 2019, amid a souring of trade relations between South Korea and Japan, SR Corporation announced that it would replace all Japanese components present in its rolling stock with locally-produced counterparts; efforts are being made to reduce reliance on other exporters such as Germany and the Netherlands.