The government can now swiftly carry out ex officio investigations to prevent ground subsidence (sinkholes).
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Underground Safety Act, aimed at proactively preventing underground safety accidents such as ground subsidence and managing underground safety on a national scale, passed the Cabinet meeting on the 23rd and will take effect on the 30th.
The core of this enforcement decree amendment is to allow the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to entrust the selection of on-site survey areas and ground exploration tasks to the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety (KALIS), which has specialized personnel and equipment for ground exploration. This is expected to improve both the quality and speed of investigations.
Starting next year, a more scientific and systematic ground exploration will be carried out by selecting on-site survey priorities based on accumulated underground safety data, such as ground subsidence history, excavation work information, and geological information.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) this year newly introduced a support program for ground exploration targeting local governments with insufficient budgets and personnel, and is actively working to close regional safety gaps. With ex officio investigations carried out alongside support for local governments, the annual length of ground exploration nationwide is expected to increase significantly, further strengthening the preventive effect against ground subsidence.
The length of ground exploration is expected to increase from 8,060 km this year to 11,380 km next year, 14,000 km in 2027, and 15,000 km in 2028.
Kim Tae-byeong, director-general for technology and safety policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), said, "With this enforcement decree amendment, a system is in place for MOLIT to conduct swift ex officio investigations and to entrust tasks to specialized institutions at the same time, enabling effective prevention of ground subsidence risks anywhere in the country," and emphasized, "We will continue to expand underground safety policies based on data analysis and strengthen efforts to protect people's lives and property."