It was revealed on the 6th that the number of reports suspected of ground subsidence has more than doubled since the sinkhole accident that occurred in Myungil-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, in March.
According to data received by Democratic Party of Korea Representative Park Yong-gab's office from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, a total of 1,450 reports related to sinkholes, potholes, and ground subsidence were filed with the city over approximately one month from March 25 to April 22. This averages to about 50 cases per day.
Compared to before the Myungil-dong accident, this has more than doubled. Prior to the accident day on March 24 of this year, 1,857 reports were received between March 1 and March 24. This averaged about 22.4 cases per day.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated, “It is true that the overall number of reports has increased since the Myungil-dong sinkhole accident,” but added, “There are also many reports that are not directly related to ground subsidence mixed in.” Following the sinkhole accident which resulted in casualties, cases such as potholes are also being reported as ground subsidence.
Earlier, on April 16, a report was received by the fire authorities regarding a sinkhole near Dolgori Station on Subway Line 6 in Seongbuk-gu. Firefighters and district office employees who responded to the scene confirmed it as a pothole approximately 5 cm deep.
However, there is widespread analysis that the increase in reports related to ground subsidence reflects the heightened anxiety of citizens. There are calls for measures to alleviate this public anxiety.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government created a safety map that assessed the risk of ground subsidence at five levels last year, but it is keeping this information private, stating that it could cause unnecessary misunderstandings and anxiety.