November Move-in but Exterior Wall Collapse... HDC Hyundai Development Company, Continuing Nightmare in Gwangju

Last June's Gwangju Hakdong Demolition Building Disaster
Safety and Responsibility Controversy Ignited Amid Consecutive Collapses

Just before the nightmare of last June's demolition building collapse disaster could be forgotten, HDC Hyundai Development Company faced another setback with the collapse of the exterior wall of an apartment building under construction.

According to the Gwangju Fire Headquarters on the 11th, at around 3:46 PM on the same day, an accident occurred where the exterior wall of an apartment collapsed at the Hwajeong I-Park apartment construction site being built by HDC Hyundai Development Company in the Hwajeong-dong 23-27 area of Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

During this incident, three people trapped in nearby containers were rescued, and one of the rescued individuals was reported to have been injured and transported to a hospital.

The collapsed structure fell onto vehicles parked on the ground, damaging about ten cars.

Around 4 p.m. on the 11th, the structure of a high-rise apartment under construction collapsed in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju. The photo shows the scene immediately after the accident.

A representative from HDC Hyundai Development Company stated, "We are currently investigating the cause of the accident and are preparing various measures to manage the site."

HDC Hyundai Development Company was also the party involved in last June's Gwangju Hakdong disaster.

On June 9th last year, a five-story building under demolition in the redevelopment area of Gwangju Hakdong 4 District collapsed toward the road, crushing a city bus and resulting in 17 casualties (9 deaths and 8 injuries). HDC Hyundai Development Company was the redevelopment contractor and the primary demolition contractor.

According to police investigations, the building's structure became unstable due to demolition that did not follow the dismantling plan, and it collapsed because the construction method, which emphasized speed and cost reduction, could not withstand the stress.

The police conducted a primary investigation and sent nine people (five detained) who directly caused the accident to prosecution, and trials are ongoing. A second investigation into various allegations including contract-related misconduct has been ongoing for an extended period.

Meanwhile, the Hwajeong I-Park, where the collapse accident occurred this time, is a large complex consisting of seven buildings with 847 households (including 172 officetel units), ranging from four basement floors to 39 above-ground floors, with move-in scheduled for November this year. There is a considerable possibility that the accident will cause delays in the move-in schedule.

In the first priority subscription held in 2019, a total of 29,261 people applied for 433 households (excluding special supply), recording an average competition rate of 67.58 to 1. For example, the 84㎡ D-type in the 2nd complex attracted 3,350 applications for 31 households, achieving a high competition rate of 108.06 to 1, demonstrating its popularity.