The government will prepare measures to strengthen safety management at excavation construction sites as local governments have experienced consecutive subsidence (sinkhole) incidents. A special inspection of excavation construction sites will be conducted by next month, and plans to prevent similar accidents will be announced within the first half of the year.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held its eighth meeting of the 'Underground Safety Management System Improvement Task Force' on the afternoon of the 23rd, reviewing the state of underground safety management and subsidence response plans by local governments, and discussing ways to enhance underground safety management. The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Interior and Safety, 17 metropolitan governments, and the Korea Geotechnical Society.
This meeting was convened in response to a series of subsidence incidents occurring near excavation construction sites in areas such as Myeongil-dong in Seoul and Iljik-dong in Gwangmyeong, to assess the current safety management of these sites and devise measures to prevent recurrence.
Metropolitan governments in Seoul, Busan, and Gwangju will announce the current response status, cause analysis results, and special management plans regarding the recent subsidence incidents.
The Korea Geotechnical Society will explain the main contents of the ongoing 'Research on Improvements to Underground Safety Management Systems' and the necessary cooperation from local governments, and will also gather the opinions of local governments on key tasks. The study includes the development of management plan guidelines, evaluation and appropriateness review of small-scale underground safety assessments and post-construction underground safety investigations, and realistic measures for the frequency of safety inspections of facilities and surrounding ground.
During this meeting, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is expected to emphasize local governments' responsibilities and roles in enhancing underground safety. There will be orders for proactive ground exploration, prompt joint restoration, and strengthened safety management of excavation construction sites to prevent subsidence.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is also expected to request local governments to participate in the special inspection plan covering 98 large excavation construction sites across the country, which will take place from the 21st of this month until the end of May.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is operating an accident investigation committee to determine the causes of the subsidence incidents that occurred in Myeongil-dong, Seoul, and Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong. The investigation is expected to conclude by June.
When the results of the accident investigation are announced, the 'Strengthening Safety Management at Excavation Construction Sites' will be presented in conjunction with the measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents reviewed by the accident investigation committee, separate expert consultations, and research outcomes.
Kim Tae-byeong, the Director of Safety Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, noted, 'Due to the recent consecutive subsidence incidents, there is significant anxiety and concern among the public. Therefore, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will do its utmost to enhance underground safety in collaboration with relevant departments, local governments, and private experts.'