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Busan City Holds Emergency Safety Measures Briefing Incorporating Special Measures Against Ground Subsidence

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The City of Busan (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has established the Emergency Safety Measures Plan for Citizens in response to recent incidents of ground subsidence and other frequent disasters, aiming to enhance the everyday safety of its residents. On April 15, Mayor Park presided over the Emergency Safety Measures Briefing for Citizens.

The briefing was held at 2:15 PM on the same day in the video conference room at City Hall, attended by directors of relevant departments and bureaus. Before the emergency safety briefing, a report was presented on the special measures addressing a series of recent ground subsidence accidents.

Special Measures for Ground Subsidence

To develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for strengthening the safety of roadbed subsidence, the city is operating a permanent task force (TF) led by the Deputy Mayor for Administration. The task force is executing urgent measures to prevent further incidents while identifying the root causes of subsidence to facilitate proactive repairs and reinforcements.

To investigate the causes of the subsidence, the city is:

• ●Conducting underground cavity surveys using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and borehole drilling across 12 intersections in the Saebyeok-ro area, covering a total length of 2.3 km.

• ●Carrying out a two-phase full inspection of sewer facilities within the impact zones of excavation sites.

• ○Phase 1: By the end of April, 800 meters of priority areas near recent subsidence sites (rainwater boxes and side ditches) will be inspected.

• ○Phase 2: In May, the remaining 3,200 meters will be examined, followed by active restoration and reinforcement to prevent recurrence.

Additionally, emergency dredging at the inflow points of Gamjeon 2 Jungcheon and Gamjeoncheon will be completed by August to secure water flow sections and prevent damage due to flood-induced ground weakening.

The Roadbed Subsidence TF, which oversees all subsidence response efforts, is composed of four divisions, with the Deputy Mayor for Administration as its head and the Director General of Citizen Safety as its deputy. Initially focusing on the Sasang–Hadan subway construction section, the task force will later expand its operations citywide as a permanent organization.

Emergency Safety Measures Plan for Citizens

The plan addresses nine major sectors and 38 specific tasks, focusing on areas such as ground subsidence, wildfires, steep slopes and landslides. The city has analyzed risk factors, conducted joint public-private TF meetings, and reflected on-the-ground feedback to formulate effective and actionable measures. To prevent delays due to budget constraints, the city has also conducted advance budget consulting for each project, ensuring financial stability.

The nine key areas are:

• 1.Integrated Safety Management

• 2.Steep Slopes and Landslides

• 3.Ground Subsidence

• 4.Fire-Vulnerable Facilities

• 5.Maritime Accidents

• 6.Rivers and Underpasses

• 7.Industrial Sites

• 8.Wildfires

• 9.High-Risk Buildings

Key Details by Sector

[1. Integrated Safety Management]

To address challenges posed by dispersed disaster information, a proposed City Safety Integrated Information Management System will advance the current urban flood control system (focused on flood and traffic) and unify information on earthquakes, nuclear safety, and everyday hazards.

In the fire safety sector, the city will visualize hazardous material data to reduce response time, and gradually integrate fire incident records and inspection results into the system.

[2. Steep Slopes and Landslides]

With increasing accident risks due to heavy rainfall and unstable terrain, the city will:

• ●Establish a real-time monitoring system using an AI-based steep slope risk monitoring system with drones, smart poles, and sensors.

• ●Double the personnel assigned to on-site prevention teams.

For areas difficult to access, drones equipped with thermal imaging and LiDAR (3D laser measurement) will be deployed. Accuracy and responsiveness will be enhanced through expert inspections and training.

[3. Ground Subsidence]

Aging water pipelines and heavy rainfall driven by climate change are identified as major causes. Mid- to long-term measures include:

• ●Expanding GPR-equipped vehicles based on AI.

• ●Strengthening real-time monitoring using automated measurement systems at excavation sites.

On April 13, early detection and a citizen’s report at the Sasang–Hadan subway construction site enabled prompt action that prevented serious damage. Moving forward, the city will enhance early detection systems in close cooperation with contractors, districts, and the police.

[4. Fire-Vulnerable Facilities]

High-risk areas such as elderly care centers, traditional markets, and densely populated neighborhoods will see expanded:

• ●Installation of smart fire alarm systems.

• ●Installation of sprinklers.

• ●Support for gas safety timers and automatic fire-extinguishing multi-taps.

Old electric wiring will be replaced in traditional markets. Emergency door openers will be installed in nursing homes to improve initial response capacity.

[5. Maritime Accidents]

Aging fishing vessels and a rising number of foreign crew members are key concerns. In March, the city supported a government proposal to ease gross tonnage limits for large fishing vessels, and the revised legislation is currently under public notice. The city will:

• ●Expand AI-based multilingual safety training for foreign crew.

• ●Promote distribution of life jackets, black boxes, and automatic fire extinguishing equipment.

Given the complexity of causes—engine failures, crew negligence, etc.—the city will expand multilingual safety signage and equipment distribution to strengthen practical safety support.

[6. Rivers and Underpasses]

In response to frequent flooding and entrapment incidents during extreme rainfall, the city will:

• ●Expedite the installation of river access control systems.

• ●Complete the installation of emergency evacuation facilities at all 35 underpasses by 2026 (22 are currently complete).

Joint patrols led by public-private volunteer disaster prevention groups will help guide citizens who continue to use riverside paths post-closure, reducing blind spots in safety enforcement.

[7. Industrial Sites]

To address fire hazards and regulatory blind spots in indoor construction:

• ●The city will institutionalize regular patrol inspections by indoor construction site safety officers, and pursue amendments to the Building Act to eliminate blind spots.

• ●The mandatory use of smart safety equipment such as mobile CCTVs and smart helmets will be expanded.

Institutional improvements will also be made to enhance the responsibility and fire safety oversight of construction supervisors and inspectors.

[8. Wildfires]

To prevent large-scale wildfires like those experienced nationwide:

• ●The city will expand unmanned surveillance systems.

• ●Increase the number of rental helicopters and fire suppression facilities.

• ●Secure forest roads and plant fire-resistant vegetation as long-term measures.

Although small in scale, Busan experienced nine wildfire incidents from January to April this year. Given the city's mountainous terrain, the city will strengthen its preemptive response system.

[9. High-Risk Buildings]

To safeguard citizens from collapsing structures such as Grade E apartments, abandoned houses, and unauthorized buildings, the city will:

• ●Sign agreements to support the relocation of residents in Grade E housing.

• ●Implement AI-based real-time structural monitoring systems.

Safety measures and redevelopment plans for abandoned houses will be strengthened. For unauthorized buildings, enforcement will be bolstered through penalties, mandatory fire extinguisher installation, and evacuation plan submissions.

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Mayor Park Heong-joon stated:
“With increasing awareness of safety issues due to natural disasters like wildfires, safety is now a crucial element of citizens’ quality of life and happiness. Above all, protecting the daily lives and lives of our citizens must come first. This is the time to review and reinforce all systems of collaboration for citizen safety. I urge everyone to carry out their responsibilities with a strong sense of duty.”