Starting next month, anyone will be able to check underground safety information related to ground subsidence (sinkholes). As concerns among the public regarding sinkholes have increased, the government has decided to publicly disclose the results and sections of subsurface exploration, as well as the status of voids (cavities) in sinkhole risk areas. However, it has been pointed out that the information released by the government will only include exploration data conducted by local governments such as Seoul, leading to a 'half-hearted' disclosure of information.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 27th a 'safety management enhancement plan for excavation construction sites' to alleviate public anxiety caused by a large-scale ground subsidence accident near a construction site.
As part of this plan, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has decided to disclose information related to sinkholes to the public through the Underground Safety Information System (JIS) map service. Through JIS, information related to accidents such as the occurrence date, location, scale, and damage situation of ground subsidence has been available since the 16th of this month. In addition, the Ministry will disclose sections and results of ground penetrating radar (GPR) exploration, as well as the status of voids found and their recovery starting next month.
However, it has been pointed out that the sinkhole-related information released by the government only includes exploration content conducted by the National Land Safety Management Institute under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which has limitations. Given that a significant portion of excavation work that increases the risk of sinkholes is concentrated in Seoul and its metropolitan areas, the lack of disclosure of exploration information conducted by local governments may diminish the effectiveness of the information released. Reviewing the voids and recovery status identified in the ground exploration results released by the National Land Safety Management Institute over the past five years shows that performances related to local governments capable of conducting their own exploration, such as Seoul and Busan, are not included.
The city of Seoul has created a sinkhole safety map called 'Priority Maintenance Zone Map'. However, considering that this safety map includes restricted disclosure information and that public release could cause side effects, it has been decided not to disclose it. Reports suggest that some residents' concerns about potential drops in property values influenced this decision.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to consult with local governments and relevant agencies to ensure that the results of ground exploration conducted by local governments are incorporated into JIS by next year.
In particular, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to incentivize local governments to strengthen joint management by expanding information disclosure. When the National Land Safety Management Institute notifies local governments of voids discovered after ground exploration, the local governments must carry out the recovery. However, local governments are postponing recovery due to budget constraints, resulting in a joint recovery rate of less than half. Out of 793 voids discovered over the last five years, only 49.6% have been completed.
To increase the joint recovery rate of local governments, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to work with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to include the joint recovery rate indicator in local government assessment criteria. Local governments with high joint recovery rates will be awarded additional points to encourage them to carry out voluntary recovery.
An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport noted, "If the joint recovery rate is included as an assessment criterion in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's evaluations of local governments, they will work hard to perform well in this evaluation," adding, "I believe the joint recovery rate will significantly increase next year."