Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety: "To Prevent Sinkhole Recurrence, a Shift Toward Preemptive Measures Is Needed"

[Financial News] Discussions have begun in earnest on the need to reinforce the underground safety assessment system with a focus on prevention, in order to stop major sinkhole accidents from happening again.
The move comes after a series of major sinkhole accidents involving casualties occurred last year near tunnel and excavation sites in Myeongil-dong, Seoul, and Jik-dong, Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety said on the 26th that it had jointly held the policy forum with Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul.
The forum was organized to improve the underground safety assessment system from a post-incident response model to a preemptive prevention model, following last year's string of major sinkhole accidents near tunnel and excavation sites in Myeongil-dong, Seoul, and Jik-dong, Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
At the forum, Professor Jeon Sang-mi of Inje University gave a presentation titled "Areas for Improvement in Groundwater Behavior Analysis for Sinkhole Prediction." She said, "Groundwater behavior analysis is not just a reference for a report. It is the core foundation that determines the reliability of sinkhole prediction." She added, "We need to improve the system so that the results do not end with simple documentation, but are linked to on-site management and decision-making."
Professor Ahn Jae-hoon of Pusan National University then presented on "The Need to Revise the Underground Safety Assessment Manual" and proposed five key improvement measures, including more advanced groundwater flow analysis. He stressed, "Only when the three pillars of technology, policy, and budget are aligned can real underground safety be secured."
Kim Hong-gyun, head of the Underground Safety Management Division at Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety, introduced "A Full-Cycle Underground Safety Management Plan to Prevent Sinkhole Accidents." He explained, "Thirty-one percent of major sinkhole accidents that threaten lives stem from poor tunnel and excavation work, while 58 percent of all accidents are caused by damage to underground utilities," and said a tailored safety management system is needed across the entire process, from design and construction to maintenance.
The comprehensive discussion was moderated by Professor Park Jae-hyun of Inje University. Officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, KICT, the Underground Safety Association, and Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety attended and discussed policy improvements to enhance the effectiveness of underground safety assessments.
Park Chang-geun, head of Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety, said, "We will organize the opinions raised at this forum and continue discussions with the ministry and the National Assembly to improve legislation and policy."

[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter