"Rebar Omission? Private Apartments May Have More Issues Than LH"

Professor Choi Myung-ki CBS Radio Interview
"Private Sector Faces Difficult Environment Even with Supervision"

Professor Choi Myung-gi of the Korea Industrial Field Professors Group stated regarding the rebar omission incident in apartments ordered by Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), "In the case of the private sector, it is expected to be even worse than LH."

Professor Choi appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 2nd and explained, "In the case of LH, there are construction companies and supervision teams, and a project team composed of LH employees is formed," adding, "Because the project team has the role of managing and supervising the supervision and construction companies, the situation is better."

He pointed out, "In the private sector, such as private reconstruction or apartments developed under general private brands, most sites are composed of construction companies and developers," and added, "Of course, there is supervision, but the supervision is placed in an environment where it cannot perform its role."

A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport accident investigator is conducting an on-site inspection at a new apartment construction site in Geomdan New Town, Seo-gu, Incheon. Photo by Yonhap News

He continued, "There are also issues with subcontracting, and supervision also has the role of completing the project within the schedule, but if it is not finished within that period, the supervision is also responsible."

He also pointed out that there could be rebar omission problems in residential buildings where flat slab structures are applied. He said, "Ultimately, the workers (for residential buildings and underground parking lots) are the same, and the management itself is the same," adding, "It is not only the underground parking lot that has problems; if an investigation is conducted on the residential buildings, such problems are expected to emerge as well."

Regarding the government's decision to conduct a full investigation into rebar omissions, Professor Choi noted, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said they would conduct inspections through safety inspection agencies or detailed safety diagnosis agencies for the private sector, but there is a possibility of problems arising here."

He said, "For example, if a problem of rebar omission is found in an apartment they built themselves, the brand would be significantly damaged," adding, "Because of this, there is likely to be lobbying to ensure that private detailed safety diagnosis agencies report no problems with their apartments."

Professor Choi said, "Therefore, even for the private sector, it seems necessary to move toward a system where inspections or diagnoses can be conducted in the public domain," and added, "Currently, the issue is not only rebar omission but also whether the concrete strength meets standards, so this part should also be investigated together."

Furthermore, he said, "All above-ground sections should also be investigated to discover any problems," and added, "Then, reinforcements should be made to ensure safety, and the process should proceed accordingly."