Gwangmyeong Launches Independent Investigation into Sinansan Line Collapse

10 Civilian Experts and 1 Lawyer to Participate; Cause to Be Determined Over Six Months
Park Seungwon: "We Will Thoroughly Identify the Cause to Alleviate Citizens' Concerns"

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on May 12 that it has formed an 'Underground Accident Investigation Committee' and has launched a full-scale investigation to determine the cause of the collapse accident at the Sinansan Line construction site that occurred on the 11th of last month.

Park Seungwon, mayor of Gwangmyeong, is presiding over the 'Underground Accident Investigation Committee' meeting held on the 12th to determine the cause of the Sinansan Line collapse accident. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

This committee is separate from the Construction Accident Investigation Committee established by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 17th of last month. The city explained that it decided to form its own accident investigation committee to ensure an objective investigation into the cause of the accident.

The committee held its first meeting on this day in the disaster situation room at city hall. During the meeting, officials from Nextrain Co., Ltd., the contractor for the Sinansan Line construction, provided explanations regarding the circumstances and site conditions at the time of the accident. The committee discussed the cause of the accident and measures to prevent recurrence.

The committee consists of a total of 12 members, including 11 civilian experts and one director from the city's internal facilities division. The civilian members were recommended by safety-specialized organizations such as the Korea Underground Safety Association and the Korea Safety Leaders Forum, and include 10 experts with extensive on-site experience?such as civil engineers, soil and foundation engineers, geological and geotechnical engineers, and building quality inspection engineers?as well as one lawyer.

The committee plans to thoroughly investigate technical matters, including analysis of problems in construction, supervision, and maintenance processes; identification of the causes of ground subsidence and geological characteristics; and whether the safety management system was functioning properly. The lawyer will analyze whether any laws were violated and determine legal responsibilities.

Over the next six months, the committee will collect accident-related data and conduct an engineering analysis of the structure and ground conditions. After the investigation, the committee will prepare an accident investigation report?including the cause of the accident, response measures, and recommendations for future institutional improvements?and submit it to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, where it will be used as policy material to help prevent similar accidents from recurring.

Park Seungwon, mayor of Gwangmyeong, stated, "To prevent similar accidents from happening again, we will also pursue institutional improvements and legal amendments to ensure that local governments' authority over safety management in underground construction is legally guaranteed."