Heavy Rainfall on the 11th Causes Flooding in Complex Area
Leakage Last Month Too... "Is Flooding an Option?" Self-Mockery
GS Construction: "Due to Low-Lying Area... Not Poor Construction"
On the 11th, heavy rain poured across all areas of Seoul, causing flooding again around the GS Construction apartment complex 'Gaepo Xi Residence' located in Gangnam-gu. This is the second time following last month's heavy rain that caused water to accumulate in the underground parking lot.
According to the Gaepo Xi Residence management office, around 3 to 4 p.m. on that day, heavy rain caused flooding damage at various locations including the apartment building entrances, community facilities, pedestrian paths within the complex, and flower beds. Due to this damage, some residents, along with staff, used cleaning tools to carry out the rainwater that had flooded the underground parking lot and lobby.
The management office broadcast an announcement around 4:50 p.m. to temporarily close the community center as the apartment was flooded due to the short but heavy rainfall. The community center is scheduled to reopen on the morning of the 12th.
A management office official stated, “Since the water was concentrated on one side, a lot of water accumulated in the low-lying areas. We installed drainage pumps and have pumped out a significant amount of water,” adding, “Just in case, the staff are on standby overnight.”
Last month, this apartment also underwent repairs for leaks and flooding damage, including fixing the underground parking lot and ceiling, which caused dissatisfaction among residents. At that time, residents blamed poor construction as the cause, but GS Construction explained that "sediment had accumulated in the drainage channels causing rainwater to backflow," and resolved the issue through drainage channel maintenance.
Meanwhile, this apartment complex is a newly built large-scale complex with 3,375 households, which began occupancy at the end of February. The 84㎡ exclusive area units in this complex were traded at 2.5 billion KRW at the time of occupancy. As flooding damage repeated within about a month in this new apartment, residents are worried that there might be design issues.
One resident told Maeil Business Newspaper on the day, “It’s absurd that just one day of heavy rain turned it into a water park,” adding, “Among neighbors, there is self-deprecating talk asking if flooding is an option.” Another resident lamented, “If this happens every year, how are we supposed to prepare?”
However, GS Construction explained, “Due to the heavy rain, rainwater rapidly flowed into the complex,” and stated, “The area is low-lying causing water to accumulate, but this is not a problem of poor construction.” They also added, “The Gaepo Xi Residence reconstruction association is discussing with the contractor about replacing the drainage channels with larger pipes in the future.”
Meanwhile, similar damage occurred at the Xi apartment in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, also constructed by GS Construction. At that apartment, which began occupancy at the end of last month, the underground parking lot ceiling and walls became wet and water accumulated on the floor even on days without rain. GS Construction explained this as “a condensation phenomenon” and attributed it to management issues by the maintenance company.
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