Gwangju Collapse Investigation Headquarters: "Hyundai Construction Headquarters Will Be Held Accountable for Safety Management"

Reduced Labor Costs? Quality Control Staff Reduced from 6 to 1, Increasing Workload

Poor Concrete Strength Triggers Chain Collapse Accident Across 16 Floors

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Regarding the collapse accident at Hwajeong I-Park in Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, the police are expanding their investigation to the headquarters of the construction company HDC Hyundai Development Company.

The investigation headquarters for the new apartment collapse accident in Seo-gu, Gwangju (Gwangju Police Agency) held a briefing on the 28th and stated, "We will examine whether there is any responsibility for poor construction, including inadequate safety management at the Hyundai Development Company headquarters level."

So far, a total of 20 people have been booked in connection with this case, including Hyundai Development Company site managers responsible for safety management, subcontractor personnel, supervisors, and Seo-gu Office officials (6 detained).

As the scientific cause of the accident has been identified and the negligence of those responsible has become clearer, the investigation is gaining momentum.

They plan to wrap up the investigation of the on-site construction personnel to some extent and focus on examining whether the headquarters of Hyundai Development Company is at fault.

The pieces are coming together regarding how much the appointment of 'quality managers in name only' by Hyundai Development Company influenced the cause of the accident.

Hyundai Development Company nominally assigned three quality managers to the new construction sites of complexes 1 and 2, but in reality, only one person was officially appointed to perform the duties alone.

The increased workload on the quality manager combined with inadequate management led to concrete not reaching the appropriate strength, triggering a chain collapse of 16 floors from the 39th to the 23rd floor.

An official from the investigation headquarters said, "We will continue investigating illegal activities by companies related to concrete quality management."

They emphasized, "We will conduct a strict investigation to ensure that no suspicion remains regarding this accident and that those responsible for illegal acts are held accountable to the fullest extent."

The police have secured evidence showing collusion between one Seo-gu Office official, who is suspected of leaking official secrets, and the construction company, and are also closely examining the appropriateness of handling complaints and permits during the construction process.

It was also confirmed that Gahyeon illegally subcontracted concrete pouring work to a ready-mix concrete company, and an investigation is ongoing regarding the unregistered resale related to a real estate development company.

Based on the expert evaluations and analysis of seized materials from multiple specialized institutions such as the National Forensic Service and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Construction Accident Investigation Committee, the police classified the causes of the accident into three main categories.

First, the construction method was changed to use deck plates for the 39th floor slab without structural review, and concrete supports were installed on the PIT floor, significantly increasing the load.

Below that, no supports (dongbari) were installed on three floors (36th to 38th), weakening the support capacity, and poor concrete strength led to the chain collapse.

The background of this hasty construction, including proceeding with curing work under severe cold weather without safety reviews, is mainly attributed to the desire to shorten the construction period.

Meanwhile, the accident occurred around 3:47 p.m. on January 11 at the new apartment construction site when the floor of building 201 collapsed, resulting in six workers dead and one injured with minor wounds.

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