Gwangju Seo-gu Conducts Free Safety Inspections for Aging Buildings

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Seo Daeseok) announced on the 4th that it will conduct a ‘Visiting Free Safety Inspection’ targeting small-scale aging buildings to alleviate residents' anxiety about the increasing number of old buildings and to establish a safe residential environment.

The application target is small-scale aging buildings over 15 years old within Seo-gu. Until the end of this month, building owners (managers) can submit an application form by visiting or mailing it to the nearest community service center (administrative welfare center) or the Seo-gu Office Safety General Division.

The selection of target buildings will prioritize aging and collapse-prone buildings by checking the structure, usage, and approval date on the building register, and from April, the schedule for visits will be coordinated with the owners for implementation.

The safety inspection will be conducted by private experts in the fields selected on the application form, including basic building inspection as well as civil engineering, firefighting, electrical, and gas sectors.

After the safety inspection, buildings will be rated on five levels: ‘Excellent, Good, Average, Insufficient, Poor.’ Cracks inside and outside will be checked, and if a building is judged to require continuous management as a vulnerable building, it will be designated and managed as a Type 3 facility under the ‘Facility Safety Act.’

Furthermore, buildings rated as Poor or Insufficient with severe risk will be subject to measures such as usage restrictions, evacuation, or demolition in consultation with the owners (including detailed inspections or safety diagnoses if necessary).

A Seo-gu official said, “This visiting free safety inspection is expected to contribute to creating a safe and pleasant residential environment,” and added, “We ask for active interest from residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.