Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam Branch Faces Leak Incident, Store Manager Replaced Over Accountability

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jin-ho] Shinsegae Department Store recently replaced both the store manager and deputy manager of its Gangnam branch following a leakage incident. This personnel change is analyzed as a measure taken due to negligence of customer safety.

According to Shinsegae Department Store on the 17th, Lim Hoon, the head of the department store sales headquarters and Gangnam branch manager, moved to the position of head of the Marketing Innovation TF at the department store headquarters the day before. Chae Jung-won, the deputy manager of the Gangnam branch, was also assigned to the overseas fashion department at the department store headquarters.

The successor to the Gangnam branch manager is Kim Sun-jin, the Centum City branch manager, and the successor to the Centum City branch manager is Kim Eun, head of the cosmetics division at Shinsegae International.

This personnel action is analyzed as being in accordance with Shinsegae’s management policy that prioritizes the safety of customers and employees above all else. The personnel changes were made exclusively for the Gangnam branch, separate from the regular personnel reshuffle.

Earlier, a leakage incident occurred during business hours on the 12th in the underground food hall of Shinsegae Department Store’s Gangnam branch. Online communities quickly spread concerns, questioning whether there was a risk of collapse, sparking controversy.

In response, Shinsegae explained that the leakage was caused by a disconnection at the drainage pipe joint, and that a detailed safety inspection by an external expert agency conducted in July confirmed there were no structural problems at the Gangnam branch.

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