[Report] "Complete Reconstruction or Lawsuit"... 'Sunsal Apartment' Residents in Outrage

"There are places where the apartment is located right above the parking lot. Some are children's playgrounds. LH says they will carry out reinforcement work, but we are still anxious. Among the residents, there are even talks that the only solution is either a complete reconstruction or a lawsuit."

On the 1st, jack supports were installed throughout the underground parking lot of Byeollae First Foret in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.
[Photo by Kwak Minjae]

On the afternoon of the 1st, Mr. A, a resident in his 40s whom we met at the underground parking lot of Byeollae First Foret (Namyangju Byeollae A25) apartment complex in Byeollae-dong, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, spoke in an agitated voice. This complex, consisting of a total of 380 households, began occupancy in April last year and is one of the LH public sale apartments where poor construction such as 'missing rebar' was confirmed during a safety inspection conducted by Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH).

The poor construction was more severe than in other complexes. Among the 302 columns in the flat slab section of the underground parking lot, 126 reinforcement rebars were missing. Temporary reinforcement structures called jack supports, which are used to distribute the load, were installed in various places throughout the underground parking lot. Notices in the name of the head of LH Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters, seemingly to ease residents' concerns, were also posted on the structures.

The residents appeared to keep their distance from the underground parking lot. Although it was a weekday afternoon close to rush hour, the underground parking lot was empty, and the indoor playground located above the parking lot was also deserted. Usually bustling with children running around, only 2 to 3 parents and children were seen that day.

Mr. B (39), a resident we met while touring the complex, said he came outside because he felt frustrated staying at home after hearing the shocking news. Mr. B said, "The newlywed hope town has well-equipped facilities mainly for children, and it is close to the station, so I planned to live here for at least 10 years, but I never imagined that rebar would be missing. Since there are restrictions on resale and mandatory residence, it is difficult to sell or move immediately, so I feel helpless."

On the 1st, an LH notice was posted on a support pillar installed in the underground parking lot of Byeollae First Foret in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.
Photo by Kwak Minjae

The residents expressed anxiety, saying they had not received any explanation about the situation from construction company staff or LH officials on site. Mr. A, a resident in his 40s with two elementary school children, said, "I only learned about the missing rebar through news articles. Even though it is a safety issue, I have not received a proper explanation from construction company staff or LH employees." In fact, on that day, attempts to find LH staff or construction company (SM Samhwan Enterprise) employees to inquire about the cause of the missing rebar and resident response issues were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, since this complex is a sale complex rather than rental housing, financial damage to homeowners is also expected. Accordingly, residents believe that LH and the government should provide appropriate compensation for any future financial losses.

A resident in their 30s who moved in last June said, "Since this place has been stigmatized as a 'poor-quality apartment,' there is a high possibility of financial loss when selling this house. Ideally, I want to get back the money I paid and leave." Another resident emphasized, "Not only simple reinforcement work but also proper compensation for damages must be provided." Some residents seemed reluctant to mention the issue, possibly due to concerns about falling property values. When residents brought up the word "rebar," some waved their hands saying, "We have nothing to say."

According to LH, the complex is currently negotiating to hold a resident briefing session this month, attended by LH as the client, the construction company, and the supervision team. The residents' representative council plans to establish an emergency countermeasure committee to gather residents' opinions and submit compensation demands. An LH official stated, "To alleviate residents' anxiety, we plan to promptly hold a resident briefing session and explain the reinforcement work and other situations," adding, "We will also conduct a detailed safety inspection through an external institution that residents can trust."

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