The court accepted the request of HDC Hyundai Development Company to suspend the 'one-year business suspension' order received from Seoul regarding the collapse accident at the Gwangju Hwajeong I-Park construction site in 2022. Thus, the administrative action, which was scheduled to be enforced for one year from the 9th, will be suspended until 30 days from the date of the first trial ruling.
According to the legal community on the 1st, the Seoul Administrative Court's Administrative 6th Division (Director General Najin Yi) accepted HDC Hyundai Development Company's request for suspension of enforcement against Seoul City on May 30.
Suspension of enforcement is a system that temporarily halts the effectiveness or execution of an administrative action. This is to prevent a party from being unable to recover rights even if they win in the main lawsuit after the enforcement of the administrative action. Accordingly, the action imposed by Seoul on HDC Hyundai Development Company is temporarily suspended until the court's main ruling is issued.
On May 14, Seoul City imposed a total one-year business suspension on HDC Hyundai Development Company. This is composed of an 8-month business suspension from the 9th to February 8 of next year due to 'serious damage or loss of life caused by intentional or gross negligence leading to poor construction' related to the Hwajeong I-Park accident, and a 4-month business suspension from February 9 to June 8 of next year due to a major accident according to the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
In response, HDC Hyundai Development Company filed an administrative lawsuit against Seoul City on May 20, contesting the order and also requested a suspension of enforcement. The main administrative lawsuit is currently in the first trial proceedings before the same bench that decided on the suspension of enforcement.
Previously, on January 11, 2022, an accident occurred at the construction site of the I-Park in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, where floor surfaces, ceilings, and internal and external structures collapsed. As a result, six workers on site died and one was injured.
As a result of this accident, a total of 20 people, including the primary contractor HDC Hyundai Development Company, subcontractors, and supervisory companies, were indicted. In January, the first trial court convicted some of the related personnel, including the site manager, but ruled not guilty regarding the executive management, stating that they could not be held responsible under the Serious Accident Punishment Act.