83kg Concrete Exterior Wall Falls at Sewoon Sangga... "No Risk of Collapse"

60s Store Owner Seriously Injured

A portion of the concrete exterior wall fell at Sewoon Sangga in Jongno-gu, Seoul, seriously injuring the owner of a first-floor store.

According to the police and fire authorities, around 2 p.m. on the 19th, a part of the exterior wall that fell from the fifth floor of the building landed on the foot of Mr. A, a merchant in his 60s who runs a store on the first floor. The fallen exterior wall was found to weigh 83 kg.

As a result of the accident, Mr. A was severely injured, with his toes nearly severed, and was transported to the hospital.

The district office suspects the aging of the building as the cause.

Completed in 1968, Sewoon Sangga faced demolition threats when the shopping district was designated as a redevelopment promotion zone in 2006. In 2009, Hyundai Sangga, which was part of Sewoon Sangga, was demolished, but the remaining buildings were preserved after the redevelopment plan was canceled in 2014.

A district office official said, "After an on-site inspection by the local safety center, it was determined that there is no further risk of collapse," adding, "We will monitor the situation to see if additional safety measures are necessary."

The police plan to investigate the detailed circumstances of the incident and whether the building management party was negligent, based on CCTV footage and witness statements.

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