On the 19th, Democratic Party of Korea Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o said at the third election committee meeting that "for the past five years, Seongdong District had zero sinkhole accidents." However, records show Seongdong District filed ground subsidence (sinkhole) reports with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport twice, in Aug. last year and in Sept. 2024. In fact, the only Seoul districts with no sinkhole reports over the five years were Gwangjin and Geumcheon.

Chong Won-o, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Seoul mayor, delivers opening remarks at the third election countermeasures committee meeting at his campaign office in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 19th. /Courtesy of News1

◇ Seongdong District, which said there were no sinkholes… "accident reports" filed for two consecutive years through last year

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Underground Safety Information System on the 20th, a ground subsidence accident with a width of 1.5 meters and a depth of 1.1 meters was reported in Sageun-dong, Seongdong District, on Aug. 10 last year. On Sept. 13, 2024, a ground subsidence accident with a width of 3 meters and a depth of 1.3 meters was reported in Yongdap-dong, Seongdong District, marking two consecutive years.

Under the Special Act on Underground Safety Management, local government heads must report ground subsidence accidents to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT). This applies when the area is at least 1 square meter or the depth is at least 1 meter, or when deaths, missing persons, or injuries occur due to ground subsidence. The Seongdong District accident reports all meet the depth criterion. An Underground Safety Information System official said, "Sinkhole report filings are made when the relevant local government determines, under the Underground Safety Management Act, that it is ground subsidence," adding, "You can regard the number of report filings as the same as the number of occurrences."

In the case of the accident that occurred last year, restoration was completed, but the cause was reported as undetermined. The 2024 accident was found to have been caused by soil loss due to groundwater outflow from a construction site stemming from poor excavation work.

Sinkhole image. /Courtesy of ChatGPT

Since Chong was elected Seongdong District chief in 2014, a total of six sinkholes have been reported in Seongdong District. Including one case each last year and in 2024, three cases were reported in 2019 in Wangsimni, Majang-dong, and Sageun-dong, and one case was reported in 2020.

Earlier, on the 19th, at the third election committee meeting held at the Taepyeong Building camp in Jung District, Seoul, Chong said, "For the past five years, Seongdong District had zero sinkhole accidents, zero flooding accidents, and zero major safety accidents," adding, "It clearly depends on what a leader chooses to prioritize." At the time, Chong did not specify the exact years for the past five years. However, given that the term was "recent," it is highly likely that both last year and 2024 are included.

◇ Gangnam District had the most sinkhole reports over five years… Gwangjin and Geumcheon had "none"

From 2021 to 2025, the 25 districts of Seoul reported a total of 112 sinkhole accidents. Gangnam District had the most with 15, followed by Songpa District (13), Seongbuk District (12), Dongdaemun District (7), Seodaemun District, Gangseo District, Yeongdeungpo District, Seocho District, and Gangdong District (five each), Jongno District, Nowon District, Eunpyeong District, and Mapo District (four each), Jung District, Jungnang District, Gangbuk District, Guro District, Dongjak District, and Gwanak District (three each), Seongdong District and Dobong District (two each), and Yongsan District and Yangcheon District (one each).

Seoul City Disaster and Safety Office Road Management Division staff inspect the roadbed using a subsidence survey vehicle. /Courtesy of News1

So were there districts that truly had no sinkhole reports over the five years? Only two—Gwangjin District and Geumcheon District—had no sinkhole reports.

This year, five districts have reported sinkhole accidents: Jungnang District, Nowon District, Mapo District, Yangcheon District, and Gangseo District. Each reported one case.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said that in 2024 it had the districts identify sites and reported to the government 50 high-risk areas with serious ground subsidence concerns. According to the data, Gwangjin District had the most high-risk areas with 22, followed by Jongno District (nine), Geumcheon District (seven), Seongdong District and Guro District (three each), and Gangnam District, Nowon District, and Mapo District (two each).

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