[My Home, This Happened] "Water Leaking in the Parking Lot for 4 Years Since Move-in"… Andong Kolon Haneulchae Legal Battle

Floor Cracks and Water Leaks from Ceiling
Leakage in Bedroom Ceiling Due to Rooftop Cracks
95% of Residents Join Lawsuit
City Issues Repair Order for Defects

Residents of ‘Andong Kolon Haneulchae’ in Susang-dong, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk, have been struggling with defect repairs and recently initiated a lawsuit against the construction company Kolon Global. Contrary to the construction company's claim that repair obligations have been sufficiently fulfilled, the residents stated that they have been suffering from various defects since moving in four years ago. Separately from the lawsuit, the city issued a corrective order to the construction company to carry out defect repairs.

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy on the 22nd, the residents of Andong Kolon Haneulchae filed a defect repair lawsuit against Kolon Global on the 3rd of last month, claiming that the repair obligations were not met for defects that occurred after moving in. Under current law, the construction company must repair defects upon residents' requests.

A total of 398 households participated in the lawsuit, accounting for 95% of the total 421 households. The apartment complex consists of seven buildings with up to 20 floors above ground and began occupancy in February 2020.

The area with the most reported damage was the basement level 1 parking lot. Residents explained that ceiling leaks in the parking lot have continued from immediately after moving in until now, four years later. There are about 60 leak spots in total, and 70% of these had previously undergone repair work by the construction company. One resident said, "The fundamental cause of the leaks needs to be resolved, but since only the ceiling surface is being patched up, leaks continue to occur in multiple vulnerable areas." The calcium water dripping from the leak spots caused discoloration and damage to the parking lot floor and residents' vehicles, and some areas were closed off to prevent further damage.

Discoloration of the floor due to leakage in the underground parking lot of 'Andong Kolon Haneulchae' in Susang-dong, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk. Photo by a reader

Damage to residents' vehicles due to water leakage in the underground parking lot of 'Andong Kolon Haneulchae' in Susang-dong, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk. Photo by Reader

Residents are also demanding repairs for another common facility, the senior citizens' center. They report that during the period when the construction company used the center as a defect repair center free of charge from immediately after moving in until June last year, water leaks from faucets and soot from actuators occurred.

Damage has also occurred in individual households. A resident living on the top floor (20th floor) of Building A reported that water seeped through cracks in the rooftop floor, causing discoloration of the bedroom ceiling. He sent a letter requesting defect repairs to the construction company at the end of last month.

Cracks on the floor of the underground parking lot at ‘Andong Kolon Haneulchae’ in Susang-dong, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk. Photo by Reader

The residents' representative stated, "Damage is continuously occurring not only in common areas such as the underground parking lot and senior citizens' center but also in individual households, so the majority of residents have joined the lawsuit," adding, "It is more important to have proper defect repairs carried out than to receive compensation."

Regarding the residents' defect reports, the construction company has confirmed its intention not to carry out additional repairs. According to the residents, the construction company sent an official letter stating that it would pay compensation after a legal judgment is made on the lawsuit.

However, a Kolon Global official said about the situation, "We carried out the construction according to standard criteria and procedures," and added, "We will review additional repairs based on the lawsuit results."

Separately, on the 19th, the city issued a corrective order to Kolon Global, requiring them to complete defect repairs and report by the 31st of next month. A city official explained, "Following last year's on-site inspection, leaks and cracks were confirmed in the underground parking lot and rooftop, and since residents have suffered damage, we issued the corrective order." Prior to this, the city had notified the company by the 16th to submit reasons for not carrying out defect repairs.