Check Sinkhole Status Near Your Home on JIS

The government will release a system in June that allows the public to check the status and management results of ground subsidence (sinkhole) accidents near their homes.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 27th a 'Strengthening Safety Management Measures for Excavation Sites' to prevent large-scale ground subsidence accidents near excavation sites. This is a response to the recent large-scale ground subsidence accidents such as the one in Myeongil-dong, Seoul, and the collapse accident on the Gwangmyeong Sinansan Line.

According to the Ministry of Land, there have been a total of 867 ground subsidence cases over the past five years, with 57 of them (6.6%) being major accidents. The main cause of major ground subsidence accidents was found to be poor construction related to excavation (37%).

In response, the Ministry of Land has prepared four key tasks and 13 detailed tasks to strengthen safety management at excavation sites, including △improving the post-management system for ground subsidence △strengthening preventive activities for ground subsidence at excavation sites △improving safety management systems at each stage of excavation work △enhancing the reliability of underground safety management. First, the results of ground exploration conducted by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation will be publicly available to the public through the Underground Safety Information System (JIS) from June. In addition, the scope of ground exploration will be significantly expanded by increasing the ground exploration personnel and GPR equipment of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation to strengthen preventive activities for ground subsidence. From 2025, the number of exploration equipment for vehicles, narrow spaces, and verification purposes will be continuously expanded, aiming to secure a total of 30 units over the next five years, with 10 units each by 2029.

Currently, the Ministry of Land can conduct ground exploration only upon request from local governments. Therefore, the Special Act on Underground Safety Management will be amended to allow independent ground exploration, focusing on high-risk areas.

Kim Tae-byeong, Director of Technology and Safety Policy at the Ministry of Land, said, "We will prioritize the lives and safety of the people and cooperate with relevant ministries, local governments, etc., to ensure that effective policies centered on the field take root in the field and manage the underground safely."


Reporter Choi Ah-young