Seoul City Conducts Emergency Safety Inspections at 429 Large Construction Sites to Prevent "Gwangju Collapse Accident"

Joint Investigation by City, District, and Experts from the 14th
Immediate Administrative Actions Such as Construction Suspension to Be Taken Upon Violation Detection

On the 26th, when the severe cold wave arrived, the COVID-19 testing site in front of Seoul City Hall was crowded with citizens. This temporary testing site operates on a shortened schedule from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. due to the cold wave. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] On the 13th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will conduct an urgent special safety inspection of large construction sites located in the city in relation to the recent structural collapse accident at a newly built apartment in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do.

The inspection targets 429 sites, including 295 large-scale private construction sites with a total floor area of 10,000㎡ or more and 134 public construction sites with orders exceeding 5 billion KRW. For large-scale above-ground structural construction sites with a progress rate of about 40% or more and 65 city-permitted construction sites, the city will conduct special safety inspections directly with external experts. The remaining 230 cases will be inspected by the autonomous districts.

From the 14th, joint inspections by the city, districts, and external experts will be conducted over six days at private construction sites. The focus will be on winter-specific risks such as concrete curing during the cold season, ground subsidence, soil collapse, and fire outbreaks.

Additionally, 2,779 small and medium-sized construction sites with less than 10,000㎡ will also undergo special inspections by their supervisors to prevent any possible safety accidents.

Public construction sites have been inspected since the 10th, covering 134 locations, and a comprehensive safety management inspection will continue until the 28th of next month. Public projects under 5 billion KRW will be self-inspected by each ordering department.

According to the inspection results, minor issues will require immediate on-site correction and supplementation. Issues requiring more time will be temporarily secured and resolved step-by-step. Serious violations will be subject to strong measures according to relevant laws.

Ryu Hoon, Deputy Mayor for Administration of Seoul, said, "We are conducting urgent inspections to proactively prevent similar accidents like the recent apartment collapse in Gwangju," and added, "Going forward, our city will do its best to ensure rapid accident prevention and response to realize a safe Seoul where citizens can feel secure."

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