Safety facilities will be installed at the 'Jeseoksan Cloud Bridge' in Gwangju, where three people have fallen and died this year.
According to the Gwangju Nam-gu District on the 23rd, the 'Jeseoksan Cloud Bridge' will be temporarily closed starting on the 24th. Access will be restricted until the safety facilities installation is completed on the 13th of next month.
A total of eight people have fallen to their deaths at the Jeseoksan Cloud Bridge, which connects two mountain ridges, since official counts began in 2017. Last year, a man climbed over the railing and attempted suicide, and last month, another man fell and was seriously injured.
Gwangju Nam-gu, the local government overseeing the Jeseoksan Cloud Bridge, received a budget that could be used for preventive measures months before the fall accidents occurred this year. It faced criticism for not using the funds in a timely manner and failing to implement countermeasures, which led to the loss of life.
Gwangju Nam-gu was selected for the 'Creating a Safe City in Gwangju' project and received 200 million won in earmarked tax (special) from Gwangju City in September of last year. This budget is intended to reduce social safety risks such as crime, suicide, traffic accidents, and industrial disasters. It can also be used for the costs of installing safety facilities in hazardous areas. However, more than three months have passed since Nam-gu received the budget for accident prevention, but it has not been utilized. The budget formulation process has not been carried out, leaving inadequate safety facilities near the Jeseoksan Cloud Bridge.
Four months after the budget was allocated, in January of this year, Nam-gu commissioned a service to install nets at the Jeseoksan Cloud Bridge. While the contract was being finalized with the installation company, four fall accidents occurred at the bridge this year, resulting in three deaths.
As part of the construction of safety facilities at the Jeseoksan Cloud Bridge, a green double-net will be installed beneath the bridge to reduce the impact of falls. Currently, work is underway to remove brush for the net installation.