[My Home Stories] "Holes all over the ceiling... I absolutely can't enter" Angry Suwon Richensia Residents

Suwon Richensia Prestige Move-In Nears, Anxious Prospective Residents
Water Leaks from Ceiling, Only Boxes Laid on Room Floors
Site Looks Like a Construction Zone... Traces of Fire Found in Underground Parking Lot

"Even on the 17th, when there was heavy snowfall, it was past 10 p.m., yet workers were paving the road with asphalt concrete at the entrance of the underground parking lot. Water and asphalt are incompatible. There are already many potholes on the road even before residents have moved in. I'm scared that rushing the construction might cause accidents like those we've seen in the news."

Pre-inspection Dates Postponed Multiple Times

The site of Suwon Gosaek Kumho Richensia Prestige visited on the 18th was no different from a construction site. Although move-in is scheduled for the 31st of this month, the completion progress has been delayed, causing the construction company to postpone the pre-inspection dates several times. The pre-inspection is a procedure where prospective residents check the apartment's quality before moving in. Frustrated by the wait, the prospective residents conducted their own inspections and reported finding problems in various places. Kumho Construction, which is responsible for the construction, built Richensia Prestige with a total of 525 units. The selling price at the time of sale in March 2022 was around 599 million to 729 million KRW for an 84㎡ (34-pyeong) unit.

The prospective residents' stance is that "it is absolutely impossible to move in and live in the current condition." After several internal inspections since mid-month, they found holes in the ceiling, broken tiles left unattended in hallways and staircases, and some units had only boxes laid on the floor instead of flooring. Construction materials were piled up throughout the interior, and water leakage was found in the underground parking lot, with water droplets falling from the ceiling. The residents' countermeasure committee chairperson said, "There was even condensation so severe that water pooled on the window frames," adding, "Because the construction company rushed to meet the move-in deadline, numerous defects were discovered."

One of the prospective residents said, "There is about a week left until the final pre-inspection on the 26th, but it is hard to expect much improvement by then," adding, "The exterior of the apartment is cluttered with construction materials and waste, and with heavy machinery being used, it is difficult even to walk around. I also doubt whether the construction is being carried out according to regulations."

An industry insider explained, "When asphalt concrete work is done on snowy or rainy days, the asphalt's strength weakens, and the road adhesion does not hold properly," adding, "The road usually cracks or peels off after a short time." The standard specifications for road construction that construction companies must follow also state, "If it rains during concrete application work, the work must be stopped immediately, and measures must be taken to prevent quality degradation caused by rain."

Even After Moving In, Construction Continues Right Next Door... Residents' Safety Concerns

Although the building has risen to the point where move-in is imminent, traces of fire were even found in the underground parking lot. Another prospective resident said, "There were fuel cans and ashes blackened by fire scattered around the floor, possibly because workers in the underground parking lot lit fires to warm themselves," adding, "Flammable materials were stacked nearby, and just thinking about what could have happened if the fire spread is terrifying."

The prospective residents have continuously filed complaints with Suwon City Hall. On the 18th, Suwon City Council member Yoon Kyung-sun, who visited the construction site, said, "Construction waste is piled up throughout the apartment, and since the second complex is being built right next to the first complex where residents are moving in, heavy construction equipment will continue to come and go, raising safety concerns for residents," adding, "If the construction company requests use approval from Suwon City, the city will thoroughly inspect the safety conditions." Kumho Construction stated, "We will do our best to address the remaining deficiencies and complete preparations for move-in by the 31st."