Glass shards on children's slide... Residents angry, calling it a deliberate act

Glass Shards Found on Slide at Byeolbit Park in Gumi-si, Gyeongbuk
What If a Child Gets Hurt... Glass Pieces Stuck in Every Joint

A story about glass shards embedded in the joints inside a slide at a neighborhood playground in Gumi-si, Gyeongbuk, has been publicized, raising safety concerns. Local residents expressed anger, claiming the act was intentional to harm children.

On the 7th, a post titled "Found this in the slide at Byeolbit Park in Gupyeong-dong" was uploaded to an online community, drawing attention. The author, Mr. A, a local resident, said, "I just happened to look inside the slide as I passed by and saw broken glass pieces," adding, "It was raining so children wouldn’t be at the playground, but I removed them just in case."

'Ant Tower' (left) installed in Byeolbit Park, Gumi-si, Gyeongbuk, and glass shards wedged inside the joints of the slide.
[Photo by Gumi-si Official Blog, Online Community Archive]

Photos shared by Mr. A show sharp glass shards lodged in the cylindrical joints of the slide. Glass fragments were also scattered around the ground near the bottom of the slide. Mr. A said, "There were shards in front of the slide too, but I couldn’t remove them because they seemed likely to cut hands," and urged, "Please be careful if children go to the playground."

The slide where the glass shards were found is the 'Gaemi Tower,' a giant slide reaching 8 meters in height, installed to stimulate children’s adventurous spirit and improve strength and endurance. It is a popular spot among children who enjoy thrills. Fortunately, it was raining on the day the shards were discovered, so no injuries occurred.

Netizens who saw the story responded with comments such as, "This is definitely intentional," "If glass shards were inserted into the slide joints, it’s deliberate," "What if children had been hurt?" "There’s a significant amount," "It’s scary that children might get hurt," and "Now we can’t even let kids ride the slide safely."

A Gumi city official told Hankook Ilbo in an interview, "Right after the post was made, park cleaners completed cleaning up the glass fragments," and added, "We will analyze CCTV footage near the park and consider requesting an investigation if intentionality is determined."

Previously, in 2011, the Korea Consumer Agency analyzed 2,063 cases of hazards related to children’s playground facilities and found that accidents occurring while children played on slides were the most frequent (44.9%), with falls (36.2%) being the most common type of injury. Additionally, a safety survey of 36 children’s playgrounds in Seoul revealed that 72.2% (26 sites) had damaged playground floors or hazardous materials such as glass shards, posing risks of injury if children fell.