'Poor Construction vs. Natural Disaster' Dongjak-gu Underground Shopping Mall Left Neglected for Four Months

On the 26th, the underground shopping mall of 'Hyeopseong Huefore Signature' in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, was visited. Although four months have passed since the heavy rain damage in August, the shopping mall is still neglected. Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul] The newly constructed underground shopping mall complex in Dongjak-gu, which was flooded by heavy rain last August, has been left unattended for four months. The conflict continues as the buyers, who claim poor construction as the cause, and the construction company, which cites natural disasters, are at odds.

According to Asia Economy's coverage on the 27th, the underground shopping mall of ‘Hyeopseong Huefore Signature’ in Dongjak-gu, which was flooded during the heavy rain on August 8, has not yet undergone defect repairs. Although the underground shopping mall has been available for occupancy since May, the buyers, who are finding it difficult to lease due to the prolonged neglect, have formed the ‘Hyeopseong Huefore Shopping Mall Buyers Emergency Response Committee’ to respond to the construction company, Hyeopseong Construction.

During the heavy rain in August, water filled the underground floors of the ‘Hyeopseong Huefore Signature’ shopping mall. The elevators and escalators from the 1st to the 2nd floor were suspended due to rainwater, and air conditioning was prohibited on all underground floors due to leaks. As a result, Lotte Cinema Shindaebang, located on the 2nd basement floor, suspended operations, and only old rental banners remained on the shopping mall and office spaces. A committee official said, “We have to pay the remaining balance by the end of October and also pay interest on the interim payments,” adding, “Buyers are suffering because they cannot lease due to poor construction.”

During the heavy rain last August, a leak occurred, causing the basement shopping area of 'Hyeopseong Huefore Signature' to have its elevator, escalator, and air conditioning stopped. Photo by Seoyul Hwang chestnut@

The committee claims that the cause of the underground shopping mall leaks is poor construction by the contractor. They argue that the central plaza installed on the 1st floor of the complex was designed with a step difference, unlike the original flat plan, causing water to pool and overflow into the underground shopping mall during heavy rain. Regarding this, external experts’ on-site inspections and consultations concluded that the central plaza requires supplementary design and repair work, and if leak defects recur, further construction is necessary.

On the other hand, Hyeopseong Construction insists that the damage was caused by the heavy rain, not design flaws. A legal representative of Hyeopseong Construction stated, “Due to the collapse of Dorimcheon Stream, water rose up to 40cm above the 1st-floor floor level, causing the heavy rain damage,” and added, “There are claims that surrounding buildings were not flooded at the time, but this issue arose because of the difference in ground levels where the shopping mall is located, not due to poor construction.”

As repair delays made it impossible to lease the commercial space, the buyers formed a committee to respond to the construction company, Hyupsung Construction. Photo by Seoyul Hwang chestnut@

As the conflict between the committee and the construction company prolongs, the committee has filed 14 complaints with Dongjak District Office requesting the central plaza design and defect repairs. However, Dongjak District Office has conveyed the complaints to the construction company but stated that it cannot enforce any measures. A representative from the Dongjak District Office’s Architecture Department said, “There are more defects related to finishing materials than structural defects,” and added, “We have notified them to correct the defects, but it is difficult to take compulsory action regarding poor construction.”

The committee has additionally filed a criminal complaint against the developer, Cheongmin Construction, and its CEO. The CEO of the construction company and the developer is the same person. Last week, the construction company was also reported to the Fair Trade Commission for violating the Act on Labeling and Advertising.

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