The cow is lost, but the barn is fixed... The 'landmine' on the road removed after 30 years

A Man in His 50s Breaks Leg Slipping on Manhole Cover on Rainy Day

National Compensation Review Takes Another Year, Hopes for Lawsuit Against Gimhae City

A slippery metal manhole cover installed on a downhill road in front of an apartment in Oedong, Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam, has been removed and replaced with paving blocks.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] After a citizen stepped on a manhole cover that had been left unattended for 30 years without any anti-slip device and fell, sustaining serious injuries requiring 14 weeks of treatment, the city of Gimhae belatedly took action.

Following the report of the accident on the newspaper's online edition on October 5, the dangerous manhole at the entrance of an apartment complex in Oedong, Gimhae, Gyeongnam, was replaced with paving blocks.

On the 8th, at the site of the accident, the problematic simple iron plate manhole cover was removed, and the hole was filled with paving blocks.

On August 21, a local resident in his 50s, Mr. Moon, slipped on the manhole cover on a rainy day and suffered multiple fractures in his left leg, receiving a diagnosis requiring 14 weeks of treatment.

The manhole cover, installed 30 years ago in the middle of a narrow downhill road, had caused various accidents over the years, but no safety measures had been taken.

Neither the city of Gimhae, which manages the road, nor the telecommunications company that conducted underground communication line work paid attention.

In response to Mr. Moon’s complaint, who lost his livelihood due to the leg fractures, Gimhae City showed an attitude of shifting responsibility to other departments and agencies, causing the complainant further distress.

Currently, Mr. Moon is preparing a formal damage compensation claim with the National Compensation Deliberation Committee and plans to file a lawsuit against Gimhae City as well.

However, according to the committee, actual compensation cases are rare, and due to the current backlog of cases, it may take more than a year to know the outcome.

In any case, it seems that the path for Mr. Moon to receive proper compensation is still a long way off.