Experts Join Gwangmyeong's 'Sinansan Line Citizen Safety Committee'

Seven Fields Including Structure, Ground Foundation, Conflict Management, Local Autonomy, and Policy
Mayor Park: "We Will Pursue Institutional Improvements to Ensure Construction Safety"

Experts will join the 'Citizen Safety Countermeasures Committee' established by Gwangmyeong City following the collapse at the Sinansan Line subway construction site.

After the Sinansan Line accident, Gwangmyeong City appointed experts from seven different fields as members of the 'Sinansan Line Citizen Safety Countermeasures Committee,' a citizen-led safety consultative body aimed at reviewing the entire Sinansan Line construction process and proposing safety measures. The city held the first expert subcommittee meeting on April 23 in the city hall's video conference room.

Park Seungwon, Mayor of Gwangmyeong, stated, "We have strengthened expertise to transparently inspect and manage every stage of the Sinansan Line construction," adding, "We will establish a systematic and professional monitoring system in which citizen participation functions in a practical way."

The committee includes experts in fields such as ground foundation, civil engineering, structural engineering, and safety, as well as specialists in conflict management, local autonomy, and policy, who will help ensure that both technical experts and citizens can participate systematically.

During the meeting, members discussed institutional foundations to enhance the effectiveness of the committee's activities and gathered opinions on ways to structure citizen participation. Lee Sangin, Director of the Institute for Local Autonomy, emphasized, "It is necessary to clearly establish an expert advisory system so that citizens can go beyond formal participation and act as effective monitors and proposers," and suggested, "We should develop educational and capacity-building programs for citizen committee members."

Kim Sangpyo, Director at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, also remarked, "It is most important to establish a close cooperative system with construction and implementation companies so that the committee's recommendations can be reflected on site."

Following the appointment of expert members, the city plans to appoint 14 citizen committee members who have been recommended by residents living near the accident site. These citizen members will continue to monitor the entire section of the Sinansan Line passing through the Gwangmyeong area until the construction is completed.

The city is also reviewing the enactment of an ordinance on underground safety management and other measures to lay the groundwork for safe underground development.

Mayor Park stated, "Taking this accident as an opportunity, we will continue to discuss institutional improvements so that the city and its citizens can proactively ensure transparency in the construction process and secure safety."