The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will conduct ex officio ground surveys in sections at risk of ground subsidence (sinkholes) to strengthen underground safety management. It will also carry out special inspections at 70 excavation construction sites.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said on the 3rd that, as a follow-up to the revision of the Special Act on Underground Safety Management (Underground Safety Act), which created the authority to conduct ex officio investigations of sections at risk of ground subsidence, it will preannounce for legislation the related enforcement decree amendment for 40 days from the 4th of this month to the 14th of next month.
The main point of the amendment is to establish a basis to entrust the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT)'s ex officio investigation authority to the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety (KALIS). The Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety (KALIS), which has ground exploration equipment and experts, has been conducting ground surveys since 2015.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) is selecting sections at risk of ground subsidence for ex officio investigation through underground safety data-based analysis, including underground facilities, subsidence history, and geological information, as well as expert evaluations, and is pushing ahead with ground surveys.
This year, a total survey length of 500 km has been finalized. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) plans to complete ground surveys within the year for sites where excavation is underway in soft ground, focusing on ▲ sections with a high concentration of underground facilities (200 km) ▲ sections where ground subsidence has occurred within the past five years (200 km) ▲ sections with many complaints suspected of subsidence (100 km).
Along with this, to inspect the status of underground safety management at excavation sites, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) will conduct joint special inspections with related agencies on 70 construction sites where excavation is underway starting on the 5th.
In this inspection, using the excavation site inspection checklist prepared this year, the ministry will focus on checking not only construction, monitoring, and safety management conditions but also preparations for the winter season.
For risk factors identified during the inspection, the ministry will issue immediate supplementation orders and corrective measures, and if violations are found, it plans to take strict actions, including requesting investigations and administrative dispositions in accordance with relevant laws.
Kim Tae-byeong, director general for technology and safety policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We will continue to work closely with local governments and related agencies to organically link ground surveys and on-site inspections and to establish a prevention-centered underground safety management system based on scientific data," adding, "We will actively carry out ex officio investigations in sections at risk of subsidence, such as soft ground, sections concentrated with underground buried facilities, sections with many complaints, and sections with subsidence history, to practically secure safety under the public's feet."