Oh Se-hoon "Mandatory Continuous Supervision During Demolition Work... Strengthening Crackdown on Illegal Subcontracting" (Comprehensive)

Unexpected 3 Inspections During Demolition Work, Construction Site Information System Established Through CCTV Installation
Mayor Oh: "Life Is a Value That Cannot Be Exchanged for Anything... I Will Create a Manual Seoul"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is initiating a legal amendment that mandates the constant supervision of demolition project supervisors and imposes strict penalties for violations to enhance safety at construction sites. Additionally, it plans to strengthen crackdowns on illegal subcontracting and establish a Construction Site Information System that allows CCTV monitoring of all construction sites.

On the afternoon of the 14th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon held a 'Press Briefing on Strengthening Construction Site Safety Management Measures' at Seoul City Hall and announced these plans. The briefing was organized to prevent accidents like the Gwangju demolition building collapse disaster, which resulted in 17 casualties, from occurring in Seoul. Previously, in July 2019, a building with one basement floor and five above-ground floors collapsed during demolition in Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, crushing a vehicle waiting at a traffic signal on an adjacent road, resulting in the death of a woman in her 20s who was a bride-to-be in the car.

Mayor Oh said, "Through the Gwangju demolition site accident, we witnessed the harsh reality of construction sites where the value of 'safety' was compromised by 'illegal' activities," adding, "Seoul has prepared strong measures to prevent the repeated loss of precious lives."

First, Seoul will pursue a legal amendment that requires demolition supervisors to be constantly present at demolition sites and imposes strict penalties for violations. Mayor Oh explained, "Since 2017, Seoul has implemented a policy of having supervisors stationed at demolition sites requiring permits, but due to insufficient legal grounds, managing the sites has been challenging."

Before the legal amendment, Seoul also pledged to conduct at least three unannounced direct inspections during demolition at sites with stationed supervisors.

Furthermore, Seoul plans to strengthen the responsibilities of supervisors in consultation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Mayor Oh stated, "Currently, supervisors can only be punished if an accident causes public danger," adding, "In the future, if demolition deviates from the demolition plan, or if safety management measures such as traffic safety and securing safe passageways are neglected, supervisors will be directly penalized."

In particular, Seoul intends to designate and manage hazardous zones and risk factors at demolition sites through demolition reviews when granting demolition permits, and make it mandatory to install safety fences in these hazardous zones. Mayor Oh explained, "For buildings adjacent to places frequented by unspecified many people, such as bus stops, main roads, children's school routes, and schools, safety measures will be proactively incorporated into the demolition plan."

Currently, there are 626 demolition sites in Seoul, including about 20 redevelopment and reconstruction projects and 606 general building demolitions.

Regarding the illegal subcontracting issue identified as a background factor in the Gwangju disaster, Seoul plans to ensure that all construction processes are carried out according to plans under the responsibility of the primary contractor. It will strengthen crackdowns on multi-level illegal subcontracting and paper companies, and criminally prosecute identified companies. Mayor Oh said, "Illegal subcontracting at construction sites is a serious threat to safety," adding, "We will establish fair subcontracting order by fully implementing the subcontractor direct payment system."

Seoul also promised to strengthen public monitoring of private construction sites by establishing a Construction Site Information System. Currently, private construction sites are required to install CCTV during risky processes such as demolition and manage them internally, submitting recordings to district offices after demolition is completed. However, Mayor Oh pointed out, "Relying on supervisors and construction companies for site management has its limitations."

Therefore, Seoul plans to build a Construction Site Information System linked with these CCTVs, allowing all site conditions at private construction sites to be monitored at a glance via smartphones. Mayor Oh explained, "This will enable real-time monitoring of workers’ use of protective gear, entry into hazardous areas, and compliance with safety rules anytime via smartphones." The system is scheduled for a pilot project in the second half of the year and official launch in March next year.

Finally, Seoul plans to mandate the presence of supervisors during Sunday construction work. Currently, all public construction projects are required to observe Sunday rest days unless prior approval is obtained. For private construction projects, Sunday rest is recommended but not mandatory. Mayor Oh added, "If Sunday construction is unavoidable, mandatory supervision will follow."

Mayor Oh emphasized, "The life and safety of the public are the highest values that cannot be exchanged for anything," and stated, "Taking the Gwangju accident as an opportunity, we will conduct more thorough inspections and improvements to create a ‘Manual Seoul’ that firmly protects the lives and safety of citizens."

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