Homeplus "Songdo Branch Contractor and Building Owner Must Present Recurrence Prevention Measures"

Some Finishing Materials Fell Off in the Basement Parking Lot of Songdo Branch Building
Due to No Full Reconstruction After the 2019 Accident

Homeplus demanded thorough investigation of the cause and measures to prevent recurrence to ensure customer safety from the building owner and the construction company regarding the incident where part of the ceiling finishing material in the underground parking lot of the building housing the Songdo branch fell.

According to Homeplus on the 24th, the finishing material in the building's underground parking lot was applied in a lightweight foam state and then hardened, and it is believed that some of the finishing material fell due to weak adhesion. Homeplus immediately suspended the use of the underground 2nd floor parking lot and began its own cause analysis.

A similar incident occurred in the same building in 2019. Homeplus claims that it requested a complete reconstruction at the time of the accident, but the construction company ignored this request, leading to the incident. The company explained, “We requested a full reconstruction of the parking lot ceiling finishing material using a safe deck method, but the reinforcement work was done by fixing fasteners to the finishing material, resulting in the same accident.”

Earlier, when the accident occurred, the administrative agency, Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, reported the construction company and the supervision company to the police for violating the Building Act, stating that the work was not carried out according to the design drawings. Homeplus said, “A lawsuit between the building owner and the construction company is also underway regarding this matter,” and added, “We have demanded compensation from the construction company for emergency restoration costs as well as damages for the inability to conduct normal business activities when the accident occurred.”

Finally, Homeplus demanded thorough investigation of the cause and measures to prevent recurrence from the building owner and the construction company, stating, “We will use this incident as an opportunity to further strengthen safety measures and provide an environment where customers can always shop safely.”

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