Joo Woo-jung Vows Full Efforts for Accident Management and Implementation of Preventive Measures
Investigation into 'Expressway Bridge Collapse' Accelerates as Ministry of Land Deploys Experts
The government has begun recovery efforts and an investigation into the cause following the collapse of a bridge deck structure at the Seoul-Sejong Expressway construction site, which resulted in 10 casualties. Joo Woo-jung, CEO of Hyundai Engineering, issued an official apology to the bereaved families.
On the morning of the 26th, Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, held a meeting with related agencies near the site to discuss the progress of recovery and response measures. After the meeting, he visited the site to directly assess the damage. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to form a Construction Accident Investigation Committee either this week or early next week. The committee will be composed of experts in relevant fields related to this accident, selected from the 166 construction accident investigation members appointed by the Minister.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched an investigation into violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Industrial Safety and Health Act targeting the main contractor Hyundai Engineering and subcontractor Jangheon Industry. Immediately after the accident, the ministry dispatched the Industrial Accident Prevention Supervision Officer to the site, and the local Employment and Labor Office issued a work suspension order for tasks identical to those involved in the accident.
On the 25th, at the construction site of Cheonyongcheon Bridge in Section 9 of the Cheonan~Anseong segment of the Seoul-Sejong Expressway located in Sanpyeong-ri, Seoun-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, an accident occurred where the deck placed on the pier collapsed during bridge connection work. The photo shows the accident site. Photo by Yonhap News
Hyundai Engineering, the main contractor, released an official statement regarding the accident, apologizing to the deceased, the injured, and their families. CEO Joo stated, "We pray for the souls of those who lost their precious lives in this accident and offer our deepest apologies to the bereaved families. We also apologize to the injured and their families and wish them a speedy recovery."
He added, "We are mobilizing all company resources to support the victims and manage the aftermath of the accident, and we are actively cooperating with relevant agencies to ensure swift site recovery and accurate determination of the accident's cause." He emphasized, "We will sincerely participate in all investigations and do our utmost in necessary measures, and we will establish and implement thorough countermeasures to prevent similar accidents from recurring."
Meanwhile, the accident occurred in the boundary area between Dorim-ri, Ipjang-myeon, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, and Sanpyeong-ri, Seoun-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi, at Section 9 of the Seoul-Sejong Expressway. The project was commissioned by Korea Expressway Corporation, and construction project management is also handled by the client. With a total project cost of 192.5 billion KRW, the project began in 2019 and was scheduled for completion in 2026. However, the accident is expected to inevitably affect the construction schedule.
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