"Preventing Ground Subsidence Accidents"... Jongno District Launches Emergency Repairs on 30-Year-Old Sewer Pipelines

21 Billion KRW Invested in Maintenance at 27 Sites
Expansion of Stormwater Inlets Planned

Jongno District in Seoul will launch an "Aged Sewer Pipeline Maintenance Project" from this month through November in a proactive response to the recent surge in ground subsidence incidents nationwide. The project aims to conduct extensive repairs on pipelines that are over 30 years old, with the goal of protecting residents' lives and property and alleviating public anxiety.

Jung Moonhun, Mayor of Jongno District, conducting a safety inspection of facilities. Provided by Jongno District Office.

Due to the characteristics of the old city center, Jongno is an area where the risk of corrosion, cracking, and damage to aging sewer pipelines is high. In particular, when leaks occur in pipelines that have been in place for over 30 years, there is a heightened risk of subsoil erosion, which can lead to safety accidents. Therefore, regular, detailed inspections and prompt repairs have been urgently needed.

The district has secured a budget of approximately 2.1 billion KRW and plans to carry out emergency maintenance at 27 locations, along with a variety of initiatives to prevent safety accidents. The primary sites for maintenance are around Jahamun-ro and the Pyeongchang-dong Community Center. In the Singyo-dong Intersection area, 191 meters of sewer pipeline will be upgraded by October, while 295 meters will be improved around Gyeongshin Middle School by October. In the Pyeongchang-dong area, 671 meters will be maintained by November.

Additionally, from this month through November, 240 meters of continuous-type stormwater inlets will be installed in the Jahamun-ro area. A pilot project will also install grating filters at 100 locations to block the inflow of fallen leaves and trash, ensuring smooth drainage and helping to prevent road flooding.

Through this maintenance project and the installation of stormwater inlets, Jongno District expects to restore the function of aging and damaged sewer pipelines, reduce damage from heavy rainfall, and achieve a reduction in sewer odors. This is anticipated to make a significant contribution to improving residents' living environments and establishing a safer urban infrastructure.

Jung Moonhun, Mayor of Jongno District, stated, "With the recent series of ground subsidence incidents increasing public anxiety, we will strengthen our proactive response and establish a robust sewer pipeline maintenance system," adding, "We will create a safer Jongno by continuing regular inspections and maintenance in parallel."

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