On the 18th, two days after the 'Osan retaining wall collapse incident,' numerous online posts indicate that signs of the accident were detected early at the site.
At around 7:04 p.m. on the 16th, a 10-meter high retaining wall on a bridge in Osan, Gyeonggi Province collapsed, killing a driver in their 40s who was passing below. Online, there were posts not only attaching past photos of the collapse site but also stating that 'prior to the accident, a complaint was filed to warn about the danger.'
On the 17th, a post titled 'Photo of the complaint submitted the day before the Osan accident (15th)' was posted in one community. The post included a photo showing significant cracks and a pothole, which was several tens of centimeters in diameter, on the second lane of the road toward Suwon at the intersection. The author wrote, 'It looked like it was just about to collapse from two days ago.'
On the morning of the 15th, the day before the accident, a complaint urging safety measures was received through the Safety Report App by the Osan City Traffic Division at 7:19 a.m. The complainant reported, 'The ground on the right side of the second lane is sinking. There are concerns about collapse when rainwater seeps in.' They also noted, 'Since this area was where the road was elevated with reinforced soil, prompt verification is necessary. You can easily find the sinking section by visiting the site.'
There are also criticisms that the city of Osan did not take appropriate measures despite receiving the complaint, leading to a human disaster. A post titled 'The Osan retaining wall accident appears to be a human disaster' was shared in another community on the 17th, featuring images from last year showing the collapse site, which had areas of the wall discolored white and others appearing dark.
Osan Mayor Lee Kwon-jae noted, 'After receiving a report of the pothole, we took safety measures at the site on the 16th and had already selected a contractor to repair the pothole on the 18th.' He added, 'We were controlling traffic because potholes could create dangers when cars are passing, but we did not expect the retaining wall to collapse.'
The police have formed a dedicated investigation team of 13 members to investigate the circumstances in detail. They are also reviewing whether to apply the serious civil disaster classification.
Meanwhile, President Lee Jae-myung asked the mayor of Osan during a meeting on heavy rainfall response held at the Seoul Situation Center of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, 'What is the reason for not completely controlling the road despite receiving resident reports?' Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong conveyed this during a briefing that day. The President also meticulously confirmed how the road was controlled with Acting Commissioner of the Korean National Police Agency Yoon Jae-sung, Spokesperson Kang explained.