SK ecoplant and Kyeryong Construction received business suspension orders from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport over the collapse of a bridge structure at a road construction site in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, in April last year.
According to the construction industry and others on the 22nd, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport notified SK ecoplant and Kyeryong Construction of six-month business suspensions, holding them responsible for the accident. The suspension period runs from Apr. 1 next year to May 31.
On Apr. 30 last year, a girder (a type of beam placed under a bridge deck) being installed at the construction site for the Seohaean bypass road in Wolgot-dong, Siheung, in the Shihwa MTV area collapsed, killing one worker in his 50s and injuring five other workers and one citizen.
Police sent six people, including the SK ecoplant site manager, and two officials from subcontractors to prosecutors on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death or injury.
SK ecoplant and Kyeryong Construction formed a consortium to take part in the project. The two companies plan to pursue legal action, including filing with the court for a stay of execution of the business suspension.
An SK ecoplant official said, "It was confirmed that there were no issues with the quality of our construction," and added, "We plan to demonstrate through legal procedures that we fully fulfilled our safety management obligations."
Kyeryong Construction also said in a disclosure, "We plan to respond with an application for a stay of execution and an administrative disposition cancellation suit," adding, "If the stay application is accepted, business activities will not be affected until the judgment in the main suit, and construction projects for which contracts were signed before the administrative disposition or that started after obtaining permits and approvals can continue."