[Seoul District News] Gangbuk-gu Conducts On-site Inspections with Experts at 30%, 60%, and 95% Completion Rates & Department Participation in Preliminary Completion Inspections ... Songpa-gu Performs Special Safety Inspections on 33 Multi-use Facilities Including Performance Venues ... Seodaemun-gu Strengthens Safety Requirements for Underground Septic Tanks in Building Permits ... Jung-gu Intensifies Illegal Building Inspections in Crowded Pedestrian Areas like Myeongdong from the 21st & Doubles Enforcement Fines, Immediate Prosecution if Uncorrected After 30 Days...
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) is strengthening the step-by-step inspection procedures during the construction of public buildings to prevent defects from occurring in advance.
The construction process of public buildings is broadly divided into four stages: planning and design, construction contract, construction execution, and defect repair. The district plans to inspect the progress at each stage from the early phase, focusing on improving the quality and safety management of public buildings.
The district has especially reinforced the inspection procedures during the construction execution stage. On achieving 30%, 60%, and 95% progress rates in the construction of public buildings, on-site inspections will be conducted. The Architecture Division, which oversees the construction, must request on-site inspections from the Audit Officer upon reaching these progress milestones.
Upon receiving the request from the Architecture Division, the Audit Officer conducts on-site inspections together with experts such as architects, architectural construction engineers, supervisors, and waterproofing specialists. The main inspection items include construction status, material management status, safety facility installation status, and complaint management status. Any issues found during the inspection must be addressed by the Architecture Division and reported back to the Audit Officer.
Additionally, the public building user departments must participate in the preliminary completion inspection on-site, and if defects occur, they must notify the Architecture Division and the Audit Officer. The Audit Officer will comprehensively manage the situation until the defect repairs are completed.
Currently, five public building construction projects are underway in the district, including the Insu-dong Youth and Young Adult Space, Suyu 1-dong Village Love Room, and Insu-dong Resident Complex Cultural Facility. These projects must comply with the strengthened step-by-step inspection procedures.
Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, “We will do our best to ensure that residents can safely use public buildings through excellent and solid construction without defects.”
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) will strengthen safety facility requirements for septic tank rooms when issuing permits for buildings and apartment complexes with underground septic tanks starting December 1, to prevent serious accidents such as major disasters.
The requirements include installing access stairs, securing a height of at least 2 meters for doors and internal spaces, and installing a fixed 3-inch cleaning pipe externally if the septic tank room is deeper than the second basement floor.
The district plans to verify related design documents, drainage system diagrams, and supporting photos during the completion inspection before granting usage approval.
When workers clean underground septic tanks without stairs and use ladders, there is a risk of injury when transporting heavy equipment such as pumps.
Also, if the entrance door is narrow, it is difficult to bring in equipment, and long hose connections may cause workers to trip and fall during work.
Lee Seong-heon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “Improving the poor environment of underground septic tank rooms, which were virtually safety blind spots, will enhance not only worker safety but also cleaning efficiency.”
The district also plans to recommend facility improvements when capacity expansions or relocations are reported for existing underground septic tank rooms.
Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) will conduct special safety inspections on multi-use facilities in the district from November 10 to December 9 to prevent safety accidents.
Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, emphasized, “Urban safety is the most fundamental responsibility of local governments. Preventing urban disasters is of utmost importance,” explaining the background of the safety inspection initiative.
This inspection focuses on 33 multi-use facilities across eight categories with high risk of accidents due to crowd congestion, including underground shopping malls, retail facilities, super high-rise buildings, and performance venues.
The inspection targets include six tourist accommodation facilities with a total floor area over 5,000㎡, two large distribution facilities over 3,000㎡, two underground shopping malls over 2,000㎡, six cultural assembly facilities with seating over 300, one super high-rise building, and one general hospital. City and district officials along with field experts will conduct thorough joint on-site inspections to prevent safety blind spots.
The district will check evacuation routes and obstacles during crowd congestion, safety management systems and facility abnormalities, compliance with recent inspection recommendations, and fulfillment of safety and health obligations.
Minor issues found will be corrected immediately on-site, while issues difficult to fix immediately will receive emergency measures and continuous management until risks are eliminated.
Additionally, if necessary, detailed safety diagnoses by specialized institutions will be conducted.
Furthermore, the district will conduct comprehensive inspections of workplaces fulfilling safety and health obligations and facilities subject to major citizen disasters, such as performance venues with large crowd gatherings, to focus on safety measures.
On the 16th, reflecting Songpa-gu’s characteristics of a large population and many large performance halls, a joint disaster response safety drill called “Songpa-gu Disaster Response Safety Korea Training” was conducted by 15 organizations including civilian, government, military, police, and fire departments, simulating a fire accident during a K-pop performance.
Mayor Seo Gang-seok said, “We will continuously conduct thorough safety inspections in all fields to establish a system capable of immediate response to disaster situations,” and added, “Songpa-gu will do its utmost to protect residents’ lives and safety to prevent any urban disasters.”
Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) is intensifying inspections of illegal buildings and strengthening administrative sanctions when violations are detected.
The inspection targets are buildings along pedestrian streets with dense crowds, conducted in two phases. From the 21st, a 10-day inspection will prioritize Myeong-dong, Euljiro, and Bukchang-dong, where many people gather during the year-end and New Year holidays. The second phase, from January next year for five months, will cover the entire commercial areas including Sindang, Gwanghui, Sogong, Hoehyeon, and Hwanghak-dong.
Main inspection items include unauthorized extensions, changes in use, encroachment on building lines, obstruction of pedestrian walkways by stored items, and securing of internal and external evacuation routes. Inspections will be conducted jointly by private architects and public officials.
If violations are found, the building will be marked as “violating building” in the building register after prior notice. Failure to comply with correction orders will result in prosecution and imposition of enforcement fines.
Especially from this year, administrative sanctions will be intensified for greater effectiveness. Previously, enforcement fines were uniformly imposed at 50% of the standard market price, but going forward, cases of habitual violations for profit, like the Itaewon case, will be fined at 100% of the doubled standard market price.
Moreover, illegal buildings that do not improve within 30 days after correction orders will be promptly prosecuted.
Efforts will also be made for prevention. According to the district, education on illegal building prevention will be conducted in the first half of next year targeting building owners, local merchant associations, and real estate agents.
The district conducted a comprehensive survey of events with a maximum crowd size of over 500 people in the area earlier this month and analyzed pedestrian safety conditions on streets with concentrated crowds over the past three years using big data to prepare safety measures for Myeong-dong during the Christmas season.
Mayor Kim Gil-seong of Jung-gu said, “We are reviewing and strengthening the overall disaster response system including illegal buildings,” emphasizing, “We will proactively identify and eradicate risk factors to ensure residents’ safety is never compromised.”
Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Ki-jae) is creating a safe urban environment by proactively identifying and eliminating risk factors through safety inspections of 23 public and private construction sites and 307 mechanical parking lots in the district during the accident-prone winter season.
First, by the end of November, a public-private joint inspection team composed of government professional staff (architects, structural engineers), construction machinery engineers, and construction safety engineers will conduct safety inspections at 23 construction sites in the district. The inspection targets include two large construction sites (over 10,000㎡), ten vulnerable process sites (excavation, tower cranes), and eight small to medium-sized sites undergoing frame construction.
Main inspection items include the status of emergency contact systems, safety accident prevention management such as fire prevention, emphasis on work stoppage during snowfall for steel frame work, installation of rest facilities and safety of heating devices on site, and monitoring of earth retaining structures for damage or deformation.
Minor issues found will be corrected immediately on-site, while serious defects will receive emergency measures or construction suspension, with special supplementary measures to ensure a safe construction environment and thorough follow-up management and supervision.
Additionally, to create a safe parking environment, from September to early November, the district inspected maintenance status of 307 mechanical parking lots. The inspection team focused on normal operation of parking facilities, regular (detailed) inspections, continued use of failed parking devices, and deployment of managers when accommodating 20 or more vehicles. As a result, 16 locations were instructed to take corrective actions. The district plans to grant a voluntary correction period and impose administrative measures such as fines if not complied with, ensuring parking facilities operate safely for residents.
Lee Ki-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “As winter approaches with rapid temperature drops and dry air increasing risks of fire and equipment failure, we conduct thorough safety inspections of major construction sites and mechanical parking lots,” adding, “We will not stop at inspections but will establish a Yangcheon-gu without safety blind spots through persistent follow-up management and supervision.”
Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced the successful completion of the 2022 ‘Our Neighborhood Store Artterior’ project.
‘Our Neighborhood Store Artterior (Art+Interior)’ is a project that improves store design through collaboration between small business owners and local artists. It provides artists with opportunities to showcase creativity and jobs, while enhancing store competitiveness with interiors reflecting each store’s characteristics. The goal is to break away from uniform designs and create customized designs that highlight each store’s individuality.
Last year, Seongdong-gu conducted the Artterior project in 39 locations around Sageun-dong and Songjeong-dong, with very high satisfaction from participating store owners and artists. This year, the project expanded to two rounds in the first and second halves, supporting a total of 105 small business stores in areas including Yongdap Shopping Market, Wangsimni 2-dong Community Center surroundings, and the alley shopping district near Singeumho Station.
Especially as COVID-19 continued into its third year causing economic difficulties, the talents of 40 artists helped stores transform and start anew. Unique designs applied to existing store names or menus attracted attention with newly transformed building exteriors, menus, and logos.
Kim, a restaurant owner who participated in the second half Artterior, said, “The new character design with a youthful sense has freshened and warmed the previously somewhat bleak atmosphere, and visiting customers like it.”
Mayor Jung Won-oh said, “The Artterior project is a win-win policy for revitalizing the local economy,” adding, “We will continue to activate the depressed local commercial districts and strengthen effective support through various policies for local small business owners.”
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