Yonsei University Dormitory 'Collapse Fear' Spreads... School Says "No Structural Defects"

Seoul City and Seodaemun District Office Joint Inspection "No Abnormal Signs"
School Officials "Only Poor Condition of Finishing Material Attachment"

Concerns about a 'dormitory collapse' have arisen among students at Yonsei University's Sinchon Campus in Seoul, but a joint inspection conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seodaemun District Office, and the university found no signs of abnormalities in the building.

On the 20th, Yonsei University announced the inspection results of the student dormitory Ujeongwon, stating, "No structural defects such as cracks were found in the slabs that could be checked," and added, "It is judged that there is no circumstance to worry about the safety of the building due to simple poor adhesion of the floor finishing materials."

Concerns About Dormitory Collapse at Yonsei University. Photo by Yonhap News, Screenshot from Yonsei University Everytime.

However, the university reported that it was recommended to conduct a safety inspection through a specialized agency as planned by the school. Accordingly, from the 21st, a detailed inspection of the entire building, including the floor condition on the first floor of Ujeongwon where issues were raised and the external building tilt, will be conducted by a specialized agency.

Earlier, since the 17th, posts expressing concerns such as "The floor of the Ujeongwon (dormitory) self-kitchen is lifted" and "Tiles are lifted, causing the refrigerator to be placed at a tilt" have been continuously posted on the anonymous university student community 'Everytime,' spreading fears of dormitory collapse.

At 1:34 p.m. on the 19th, the Seodaemun Fire Station received a report expressing concern about building collapse, stating, "There is a post on an internet community that concrete powder is falling on the dormitory building floor." However, the dispatched firefighters judged that there was no risk of collapse and withdrew.

Nevertheless, students' concerns continued, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seodaemun District Office began a joint inspection from around 10:30 a.m. that day. As a result of the inspection, it was reported that no visible abnormalities were found in the concrete or building structure. The tile lifting phenomenon was estimated to be caused by damage from expansion and contraction due to temperature differences.