Gyeonggi Province to Conduct Emergency Safety Inspections of Retaining Walls and Slopes at All Apartment Complexes

The Gyeonggi Provincial Government will conduct an emergency safety inspection of aging retaining walls and slopes at 7,296 apartment complexes throughout the province.

This measure is intended both to prevent a recurrence of accidents similar to the recent collapse of an old retaining wall at an apartment complex in Namyangju, and to prepare for summer seasonal disasters such as heavy rain and flooding.

Previously, on April 22, a retaining wall (3.5 meters high and 15 meters long) collapsed in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Hwado-eup, Namyangju, resulting in property damage to six vehicles. The apartment complex was built in 1991, raising concerns about similar accidents involving retaining walls and slopes at other older apartment complexes.

In response, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government will conduct a comprehensive survey of all retaining walls and slopes within apartment complexes in the province. For those retaining walls and slopes identified as being at high risk, the government will implement step-by-step safety inspections and intensive management to prevent similar accidents.

First, by May 23, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government will carry out a first-round inspection of all 7,296 apartment complexes in the province. This inspection will cover the date of completion, number of households, the presence of retaining walls or slopes of at least 2 meters in height or of a certain scale, and the usage status of the land above and below the structures.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

For facilities where cracks, spalling, exposed rebar, or structural displacement are found during the first inspection, a second joint inspection will be conducted with municipal officials and private experts before the start of the rainy season in June, taking into account the level of risk and the size of the facility.

During the second joint inspection, if any facility is found to require high-risk repairs or reinforcement, the inspection results will be immediately communicated to the facility manager to prompt swift action. Facilities where the land above or below the retaining wall or slope is used as a playground, parking lot, or garbage collection area will be classified as "intensive management targets during the rainy season," and plans for control and evacuation to prevent casualties will be reviewed.

In addition, until repairs or reinforcement are completed, the government will establish detailed response plans to ensure the immediate evacuation of residents in the event of weather advisories or heavy rainfall.

Kim Sungjung, the First Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Since old retaining walls and slopes are highly susceptible to collapse, we will do our utmost to eliminate every potential risk of casualties before the summer rainy season."