'Jeongjagyo Pedestrian Bridge Collapse' Seongnam City Disaster Area Declaration 'Failed'

Seongnam Bundang Jeongja Bridge Pedestrian Path Collapse
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province's request to the government for designation as a 'special disaster area' following the 'collapse accident of the Bundang Jeongja Bridge pedestrian walkway' has been rejected.

Seongnam City announced on the 24th that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety sent an official letter at the end of last month stating, "The collapse of the Jeongja Bridge pedestrian walkway on April 5 was an accident, not a disaster as defined by law, and the maintenance and repair of aging bridges in the Seongnam area, which require enormous budgets, have been projects carried out by local governments so far. Therefore, it is difficult to designate a special disaster area that requires urgent national support."

Earlier, on the 24th of last month, Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin held a press conference on the detailed safety inspection results of dangerous bridges over the Tancheon Stream, saying, "Including the Jeongja Bridge where the accident occurred, the sagging condition of the pedestrian walkways on 17 bridges over Tancheon has been found to be at a level dangerous to continue allowing passage, requiring demolition and reconstruction," and requested the government to designate Seongnam City as a special disaster area.

Although the designation as a special disaster area was rejected, Seongnam City considers it necessary to secure national and provincial funding for the repair of aging bridges and reconstruction of pedestrian walkways, and has requested 7 billion KRW in special grants from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

They also plan to request special adjustment grants from Gyeonggi Province.