Overview
- A worker remains missing following the Gwangmyeong subway tunnel collapse, where reinforcement work failed to prevent structural failure.
- Recent data reveals nearly one-third of Seoul's sewer pipes are over 50 years old, contributing significantly to sinkholes and ground subsidence.
- Government task forces are deploying advanced technologies like ground-penetrating radar to identify underground vulnerabilities in major cities.
- From 2020 to 2024, 45.4% of ground subsidence incidents nationwide were linked to sewer pipe damage, per official data.
- Rapid urban development and aging infrastructure continue to strain South Korea's underground systems, raising public safety concerns.