Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Suspends GS Construction's Operations for 10 Months over Geomdan Underground Parking Collapse

The government has decided to impose a 10-month business suspension on GS Construction, the contractor responsible for the underground parking lot collapse accident at the Geomdan Apartment in Incheon that occurred at the end of last April. Construction management companies and design firms are also facing business suspensions of 8 months and license cancellations, respectively.

The site of the public sale apartment construction at Block AA13-2 in Geomdan New Town, Seo-gu, Incheon, where an underground parking lot collapse accident occurred. / Photo by Noh Kyung-jo

On the afternoon of the 27th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a meeting at the Government Seoul Office, chaired by Minister Won Hee-ryong, and announced, "We have decided to take a zero-tolerance approach to illegal acts by those responsible for the accident."

The Ministry stated that it will push for an 8-month business suspension by ministerial order against the GS Construction consortium and its subcontractors responsible for the accident site due to poor construction. Additionally, it plans to request Seoul City to impose a 2-month business suspension on the GS Construction consortium for negligent safety inspections.

Regarding the construction management consortium, Mokyang Architects Office, the Ministry announced plans to impose a 6-month business suspension for intentional or gross negligence. For omissions in construction, inspection, and testing of major structural elements, it will request Gyeonggi Province to impose a 2-month business suspension.

Furthermore, the Ministry will request Seoul City to cancel the registration or impose a 2-year business suspension on the design consortium, Yuseon Engineering Architects Office. For related professional engineers, the Seoul Regional Land Office Chief will impose a 1-year qualification suspension. Investigations into violations of related laws by design, construction, and supervision companies will be referred to the police.

Meanwhile, the Ministry confirmed that GS Construction’s self-inspections of 83 construction sites nationwide were appropriate. After the accident, GS Construction commissioned the Architectural Structure Society to conduct safety inspections at 83 apartment construction sites nationwide. The appropriateness was verified by the Ministry and the Korea Infrastructure Safety & Technology Corporation from June 19 to this month’s 18th.

Concrete strength tests (non-destructive testing using Schmidt hammer and compressive strength tests through core sampling) met the standards, and rebar inspections (non-destructive testing using rebar detectors) found no missing rebar.

Minister Won Hee-ryong of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "I feel a great responsibility for causing public concern about residential safety due to substandard construction typical of developing countries. We will firmly respond to illegal acts with the strictest punishments prescribed by law and boldly dismantle the construction cartel pervasive in the industry to create an environment where citizens can live safely."

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