Ground collapses raise concerns over South Korea's aging infrastructure

A dozen ground collapses across South Korea have raised serious concerns about the safety of the nation's aging urban infrastructure.

The most recent incident occurred on April 11 at a construction site of the Sinansan Line in Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province. The site is now cordoned off, with visible damage to surrounding structures.

According to the National Fire Agency, the body of a worker in his 50s, missing since the collapse on Tuesday, was recovered at a depth of 21 meters.

While authorities are investigating the cause of the incident, experts have ruled out the immediate risk of further collapses, allowing a nearby elementary school to reopen. But the temporary traffic restrictions remain in place.

This incident marks the 12th ground collapse in South Korea this year, fueling public anxiety.

"I'm afraid this kind of accidents could happen to me. I'm careful when I walk outside and very nervous even when driving. I don't feel safe on the roads anymore. These accidents could have been avoided with better design and management," said a Seoul resident.

Over 40 percent of South Korea's underground water pipes have been used for over 30 years, which are prone to corrosion, leaks, and soil erosion that can lead to collapses.

Data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reveal that 867 ground collapses occurred nationwide in the past five years, with over half attributed to ruptured water pipes.

And the backfill soil which was improperly compacted during the construction may cause the loose underground soil being easily washed away by running water, causing the foundation to gradually sink.

"We need to change our mindset and view security spending as an investment rather than a simple consumable expense or sunk cost. South Korea's overall safety management capability and system is inadequate, which is one of the reasons behind the recent frequent collapse accidents," said Lee Song-kyu, president of the Korea Safety Experts Association.

Furthermore, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, such as heavy rains and typhoons, puts many areas at risk, Lee added.

Ground collapses raise concerns over South Korea's aging infrastructure

Ground collapses raise concerns over South Korea's aging infrastructure

The international community should work together to prevent the escalation and spread of the tensions in the Middle East, which could undermine Syria's security and stability, a Chinese envoy said on Wednesday.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the statement at a UN Security Council meeting on political and humanitarian issues in Syria.

"Tensions in the Middle East persist, and their spillover effects continue to spread, introducing new complexities to the already fragile situation in Syria. At present, the situation is at a critical juncture between war and peace. China calls on all parties concerned to seize this window of opportunity for peace, exercise maximum restraint, demonstrate the utmost sincerity, and continue to resolve disputes through political and diplomatic channels so as to achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire. The international community should work together to prevent the escalation and spread of conflict in the Middle East, which could undermine Syria's security and stability," he said.

Fu said China calls on the Syrian transitional government to fulfill its international obligations and take all effective measures to resolutely combat all international terrorist organizations listed by the UN Security Council, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

China respects Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, and Israel should withdraw from the Syrian territory as soon as possible, Fu said.

China calls for concerted int'l efforts to shield Syria from regional conflict