Eunju Lee, Seoul City Council Member, Proposes Seoul's First Elevator Safety Management Ordinance for Local Governments

Frequent Breakdowns Due to Aging Equipment Had to Be Endured Solely by Citizens; Ordinance Enactment Expected to Enhance Citizens' Safety and Convenience

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Lee Eun-ju, Vice Chair of the Transportation Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (The Democratic Party, Nowon 2), has proposed the first-ever ordinance on elevator safety management in local governments.

This ordinance proposal is based on the contents gathered at the "Policy Forum for the Establishment of the Seoul Metropolitan Elevator Convenience Facility Safety Management Ordinance" held on August 27.

Although citizens have continuously experienced inconvenience due to malfunctions caused by the aging of elevator convenience facilities in Seoul, experts have pointed out at this forum and other venues that there has been insufficient action due to the lack of a systematic legal basis for management.

The main contents of the Seoul Metropolitan Elevator Safety Management Ordinance, aimed at ensuring the safety management and convenience enhancement of elevators in Seoul, are as follows.

It specifies definitions related to elevators and elevator maintenance (Article 2), establishes a comprehensive plan for elevator safety management, and regulates related projects in detail (Articles 4-5).

It also defines and certifies Seoul-type excellent elevator safety management companies (Article 7), regulates the operation of inspection teams to prevent poor safety management and improve user safety (Article 8), and specifies matters concerning an advisory committee to support safety management (Articles 9-10).

Assemblywoman Lee Eun-ju stated, “Through this ordinance, it will be possible to manage a wider range of elevators, including those in Seoul’s public corporations, foundations, and investment institutions, not just elevators within Seoul city.” She added, “We expect that the safety of Seoul citizens using elevators will be secured and their convenience enhanced.”

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