Incheon City Restricts Building Permits for Semi-basement Houses in Frequent Flooding Areas

On the 8th, three family members were trapped and died in a semi-basement apartment near Gwanak-gu, Seoul, due to flooding caused by heavy rain. The photo shows a firefighter barely prying open a security window. 2022.8.9 [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City has decided to restrict building permits for semi-basement houses in areas prone to frequent flooding. This measure comes in response to the recent heavy rain damage that has turned the disaster safety of semi-basement houses into a social issue.

On the 31st, the city announced that it will restrict building permits for newly constructed semi-basement houses in areas prone to frequent flooding or flood risk, following the review of each district and county building committee.

This is to actively apply Article 11, Paragraph 4 of the Building Act to establish fundamental measures against flooding damage to semi-basement houses caused by heavy rain.

Article 11 of the Building Act includes a provision that if it is recognized that using some spaces such as basements of buildings planned to be constructed in areas prone to frequent flooding or flood risk for residential purposes or installing living rooms is inappropriate, permits may be denied after review by the building committee.

The city has coordinated with the Incheon Architectural Society to ensure that building owners are informed of this in advance during architectural design.

According to Statistics Korea data, as of 2020, out of 1,147,200 households residing in Incheon, 2.1%, or 24,207 households, live in semi-basement houses.

An official from Incheon City stated, "We have decided to restrict building permits for semi-basement houses to prevent damage caused by heavy rain," adding, "Furthermore, we will consult with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and others to devise more fundamental measures for damage prevention."

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