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
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
