Gyeongnam Environmental Group: "Landslide at Changwon Ssuljae Tunnel Caused by Forest Road"

Gyeongnam Province to Conduct On-Site Investigation on August 18

The Gyeongnam Environmental Movement Federation claimed that the cause of the landslide near the Ssalsaeteo Tunnel in Changwon during the landfall of Typhoon Khanun, the 6th typhoon, was due to an 'imdo' (forest road).

Earlier, on the 10th, a landslide occurred about 3 km in the direction of Naesa-eup near the Ssalsaeteo Tunnel on National Road No. 5 in Changwon due to the influence of Typhoon Khanun.

There were no casualties, but the soil debris covered the road, preventing vehicle traffic for a while.

The 'imdo' identified by the group as the cause of the landslide is a road artificially cut into the mountain.

On the 16th, the group held a press conference at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center and stated, “Professor Hong Seok-hwan of Pusan National University inspected the site on the 12th and found that the landslide started when the imdo created by the Korea Forest Service on a steep slope collapsed.”

They emphasized, “It has been confirmed that the Korea Forest Service’s construction of imdos is hiding claws as an element threatening citizens’ lives in various places.”

They added, “The Korea Forest Service and foresters claim that heavy rain is the cause of the landslide, but without imdos, rainwater flows slowly, and when trees are cut and roads are made, rainwater concentrates in one place, worsening the landslide. Also, during forest fires, fire spreads along the imdos.”

The group urged, “The United States has legally stopped and reduced the construction of imdos for the past 20 years. We should also shift our policy on expanding imdos and stop excessive construction of imdos.”

The Gyeongnam Environmental Movement Federation is holding a press conference urging a shift in forest road policies.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

Gyeongnam Province and the Korea Forest Service plan to visit and investigate the forest near the Ssalsaeteo Tunnel where the landslide occurred on the 18th, hosted by Gyeongnam Province.

An official from the province said, “There have been previous instances of soil erosion near the Ssalsaeteo Tunnel even before the imdo was constructed, and it is presumed that the landslide was caused by a combination of factors including previous heavy rains and this typhoon, so we cannot definitively say that the construction of the imdo caused the landslide.”

He added, “There is no research or data showing that imdos, which are also used as important routes for firefighting teams during forest fires, spread fire or cause landslides. A team including experts in hydrology, soil science, and university professors will conduct an on-site investigation for accurate cause analysis and prevention of recurrence.”

He continued, “There are about 2,738 km of imdos in the province. We will request the city and county authorities, who are responsible for managing imdos, to establish imdo management plans and strengthen pre-inspections of disaster-prone areas, including 81 imdos passing through or near villages.”

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