"Repeated Disasters Caused by Illegal, Unlawful, and Evasive Practices"
On the 12th, a search dog was deployed to search for missing persons at the accident site of Hwajeong Hyundai I-Park mixed-use apartment in Seo-gu, Gwangju. /Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Regarding the collapse accident of the newly built apartment in Gwangju that occurred on the 11th, Lee Jong-gwan, who served as the head of the special inspection task force at the site of the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse, pointed out, "I felt d?j? vu. It is a tragedy repeated in the same way due to illegal, unlawful, and expedient methods."
In an interview with Yonhap News on the 18th, Lee described the Gwangju Hwajeong I-Park collapse accident as "too horrific" and stated, "The fundamental cause is the expedient and unlawful practices throughout the entire construction process."
He led architects in conducting an on-site investigation for about 70 days at the scene of the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse. Later, in 2019, he opened the Sampoong Department Store Collapse Memorial Exhibition Hall in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, which he currently operates.
He said that although the design and construction methods of the Sampoong Department Store and Gwangju Hwajeong I-Park differ, the horrific scenes?from the exterior walls being completely torn off, parts of the interior collapsing entirely, to the steel reinforcements being helplessly pulled out?are "carbon copies."
On the 18th, Director Lee Jong-kwan is explaining by comparing the collapse of Gwangju Hwajeong I-Park and the collapse of Sampoong Department Store at the Sampoong Department Store Collapse Memorial Exhibition Hall in Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi Province. / Photo by Yonhap News
Lee analyzed, "Whether 27 years ago or now, basic safety measures at the site are not being observed. At the Sampoong Department Store, the slabs that distribute the load were constructed thinner than designed or were not installed at all. It seems the situation is the same with Hwajeong I-Park."
Regarding another issue in this accident, the curing of concrete, Lee said, "Concrete must be maintained at a temperature above 5 degrees Celsius for more than 9 days to ensure safety," adding, "It cannot be subjected to cold and heat fluctuations; the temperature must be consistent, but recent weather likely did not meet this condition."
He criticized, "It is tragic that such construction work was carried out by one of Korea's leading large corporations, not even a small or medium-sized enterprise," and added, "It is as if the efforts and pride of Korean construction, which flourished in the Middle East in the past, have been wasted."
Meanwhile, in the collapse accident of the Hwajeong I-Park apartment's exterior walls and other structures from the 23rd to 38th floors on the 11th, one person has died and five remain missing as of now.
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