"All-Out Efforts for Accident Response"
On the afternoon of the 11th, nighttime rescue operations are underway at the collapse site of the Gwangju Representative Library construction in Seo-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News
On December 11, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung postponed his publication celebration event, which was scheduled for the 14th, due to the collapse accident at the Gwangju Representative Library construction site. Mayor Kang's office stated, "The publication celebration event will be postponed due to the collapse accident at the Representative Library construction site," and added, "We will do our utmost to manage the aftermath of the accident."
This publication celebration event had been widely interpreted as Mayor Kang's de facto declaration to seek re-election; however, the accident has made it inevitable to reschedule.
At 1:58 p.m. on the same day, a steel structure collapsed at the construction site of the new Gwangju Representative Library in Chipyeong-dong (Sangmu District), Seo-gu, Gwangju, trapping four workers. Among those trapped, a plasterer, Mr. A (47), who was working on the rooftop, was rescued at 2:52 p.m. but was in cardiac arrest and was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities discovered another trapped worker at 2:53 p.m. and are currently conducting rescue operations, while the locations of the remaining two workers have not yet been determined.
At the time of the accident, concrete pouring work was underway at the site. It is believed that the impact of the collapse caused the workers to fall to the basement level along with the building debris, and rescue operations have been hampered by the need to lift heavy steel structures with cranes.
The Gwangju city government activated the Regional Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at 2:40 p.m., immediately after the accident. Mayor Kang instructed that every effort be made to ensure a safe and swift rescue, ordered the deployment of additional equipment such as cranes, and called for the establishment of a cooperative system. The city also reported that Mayor Kang requested prompt contact and support for the families of those trapped.
The fire authorities declared Level 1 emergency response and are continuing the search by mobilizing all available rescue personnel.
The Gwangju Representative Library is being constructed on the site of the former Sangmu incineration plant, with a total project cost of 51.6 billion won. The building is planned to have two basement floors and two above-ground floors, with a total floor area of approximately 11,000 square meters. Construction began in September 2022, but delays due to the contractor’s bankruptcy prevented the planned opening at the end of this year. Currently, Gu-il General Construction has resumed the project, aiming for completion in April next year, with the construction progress at about 73%.
The police and fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the accident as soon as the rescue of the trapped workers is completed.
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