The High Barrier of Safety Inspections... Final 'Reconstruction Not Allowed' Decision for Godeok Jugong 9 Complex

Received D grade in first detailed safety inspection last January
However, maintenance was deemed appropriate after adequacy review
Criticism that safety inspection standards are excessively strict
Seoul City requested easing standards, but Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport states "future consultation"

Godeok Jugong Complex 9, Myeongil-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul (Photo by Godeok Jugong Complex 9 website)

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The Godeok Jugong 9 Complex (1,320 households) in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, completed in 1985, failed to pass the safety inspection and was judged as 'reconstruction not possible.'

According to the maintenance industry on the 16th, the Korea Land and Housing Safety Management Institute announced on the 11th that the Godeok Jugong 9 Complex received a C grade (62.70 points), indicating maintenance, in the reconstruction safety inspection adequacy review submitted to Gangdong-gu Office.

This apartment complex passed the preliminary safety inspection in February 2018 and received a D grade (51.29 points), which allows 'conditional reconstruction,' in the first detailed safety inspection (private institution) last December.

For a D grade, an adequacy review by public institutions (Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology and Korea Land and Housing Safety Management Institute) is required. As a result, the final score increased by more than 10 points, making reconstruction impossible.

Specifically, this apartment received a C grade in all categories including structural safety, residential environment, and cost analysis, except for building finishing and facility aging, which were rated D.

Recently, as complexes such as Mokdong 9 and 11 Complexes in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, also failed to pass the adequacy review stage, criticisms have arisen that the safety inspection standards are excessively strict.

Accordingly, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon sent an official letter to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport proposing improvements to revise the safety inspection standards, but there has been little progress.

Mayor Oh explained, "The current reconstruction safety inspection focuses on structural safety, which has made it difficult to pass the actual safety inspection," and added, "I proposed establishing realistic safety inspection standards to enable the improvement of the residential environment in aging apartments."

A Ministry of Land official stated, "The easing of reconstruction safety inspections will be further discussed considering market stability."

The reconstruction safety inspection is scored out of 100 points, with grades divided accordingly. A D grade (31?55 points) requires an adequacy review by public institutions (Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology and Korea Land and Housing Safety Management Institute). An E grade (below 31 points) confirms passing the safety inspection, while A to C grades (above 55 points) indicate maintenance and mean reconstruction is not possible.