Kwon Soon-ho, CEO of HDC Hyundai Development Company, "Apologize for Gwangju Building Collapse... Do Our Best to Support Victims"

Construction Contracted for Redevelopment Area with Building Collapse Incident

On the morning of the 10th, Kwon Soon-ho, CEO of Hyundai Development Company, visited the site of the collapsed demolition building accident in Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, to offer a public apology. Hyundai Development Company is the construction company responsible for the housing redevelopment project where the accident occurred, resulting in 9 deaths and 8 injuries the previous day. Debris from the demolished building struck a city bus stopped at a bus stop, causing casualties among 17 people, including the driver and passengers.

On the 10th, Kwon Soon-ho, CEO of HDC Hyundai Development Company, visited the site of the collapsed demolition building accident in the redevelopment area of Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, and apologized. CEO Kwon repeatedly bowed his head, saying he would do his best to identify the cause and support the victims.

At around 12:10 a.m. on the day of the collapse accident briefing, CEO Kwon said, "I came down from Seoul immediately after hearing the news of the accident," and opened his remarks by saying, "An accident that should never have happened occurred. My trembling heart does not subside."

He said, "I am deeply sorry to those who lost their lives in this unfortunate accident, their bereaved families, and the injured to the extent that it is difficult to express in words," and added, "We will actively cooperate with the investigation to promptly clarify the cause of the accident."

He continued, "Regardless of the cause of the accident, we will do our best to support the victims and bereaved families and devote the company's capabilities. I sincerely apologize to the union members and the citizens of Gwangju," bowing deeply.

He said, "All construction companies prioritize safety management," and added, "Among the top 10 construction companies last year, we were the only one with no accidents. I apologize again to the citizens of Gwangju and the public."

In response to a media question asking whether illegal subcontracting occurred during the demolition work, CEO Kwon replied, "I understand that Hansol Enterprise is carrying out the demolition."

Meanwhile, the search for buried victims continued overnight at the site of the collapsed demolition building accident in the redevelopment area of Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju.

On the previous afternoon, a five-story commercial building collapsed entirely during demolition work in the redevelopment area, burying a city bus stopped at the bus stop in front of the building under the debris. Of the 17 people trapped inside the sunken bus, 9 died and 8 were seriously injured.

HDC Hyundai Development Company and the subcontractor in charge of demolition stated that, except for those who evacuated after sensing abnormal signs just before the collapse, there were no workers inside the building.

The fire authorities have been searching for additional buried victims such as pedestrians or construction workers at the site for two days. After rescuing 17 people, including the driver and passengers, from the city bus buried under the building debris, no additional buried victims have been found so far.

As of 5 a.m. on the second day of the search, the exploration to remove the building debris covering the bus stop, road, and pedestrian walkway with heavy equipment was completed. The fire authorities are continuing small-scale searches to find workers who might have remained inside the building just before the collapse.

Once the search for additional buried victims is completed, a joint on-site inspection by related agencies to determine the cause of the collapse will be conducted. The police plan to form a dedicated investigation team at the city police level to investigate the demolition building collapse accident.

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