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Busan City Takes All-Out Measures to Prepare for Complex Summer Disasters, from Ground Subsidence to Flood Damage

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The Busan Road Subsidence (Sinkhole) Special Task Force, which is responsible for issues related to the Sasang-Hadan Metro Line construction, announced the major results of its special measures in the Saebyeok-ro area.

○ As part of the city's "Emergency Safety Measures for Citizens" initiative aimed at enhancing everyday safety, the task force was established on April 15 under the direction of the Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs. The team has since been implementing strategies to prevent additional incidents of road subsidence.

○ To mitigate flood risk in the Saebyeok-ro area, the city dredged 3,615 meters of roadside and stormwater drainage channels and 1,540 meters of inflow areas to streams (Gamjeon 1 & 2 Jungcheon and Gamjeoncheon).

○ Using CCTV, the interior of 3,215 meters of sewer lines was precisely inspected, identifying 17 locations requiring repair. Sixteen have been completed, and the final site will be repaired by the end of June. In preparation for typhoons and heavy rain, the covered structure over Gamjeon 1 Jungcheon will also be reinforced by the end of September.

○ Sixty water pumps have been installed along the Sasang-Hadan Metro construction route, with on-site personnel present 24/7. Routine inspections occur six times a day, increasing to hourly patrols during heavy rain to enable immediate response to flooding or safety hazards.

From April 29, to prevent further ground voids in the Saebyeok-ro section, borehole drilling was conducted, and grout was injected into suspicious areas. A ground monitoring system has also been established to ensure ongoing stability.

○ A total of 127 boreholes have been completed—74 initially in prioritized areas such as the Saebyeok Market and Dongseo Overpass, followed by 53 additional boreholes throughout the entire Saebyeok-ro section.

○ The drilling locations were selected based on previous subsidence cases (14 incidents) and vulnerable intersections. The investigation involved: perforating the ground, inserting an underwater endoscope to visually analyze soil conditions, and completing grout-based reinforcement where soil instability was suspected.

○ Given that water and soil tend to leak together in void formations, the groundwater fluctuation range is also regularly monitored, and periodic ground imaging is conducted to track changes over time and support prevention efforts and mechanism analysis.

○ Excavation was carried out at 10 suspected subsidence sites. Two sites were immediately reinforced after confirming the presence of voids, successfully preventing further incidents and improving ground stability.

Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) inspections are also being conducted in tandem with borehole drilling to confirm the presence of voids under sidewalks and road surfaces in the Saebyeok-ro area.

○ Vehicle-mounted GPR equipment was used to inspect 27 km of road. Areas inaccessible by vehicle, such as sidewalks, were inspected with handheld devices. No anomalies have been detected to date.

○ Regular GPR inspections are conducted at least twice monthly on major roadways, including Dongseo Overpass. As of now, no issues have been found.

○ Emergency safety inspections of the Dongseo Overpass and Gamjeon ramp/pillar structures revealed no problems. Nine sensors were installed on April 18 to monitor for displacement.

To investigate causes of road subsidence and review the overall construction site, the city is operating a Ground Accident Investigation Committee and an Expert Advisory Panel.

○ The Investigation Committee, launched on April 29, is studying the April 13–14 incident near Saebyeok-ro and will submit a final report by August.

○ Since May 14, the Expert Panel has been providing technical reviews and recommendations, which are actively being implemented.

Moving forward, Busan plans to expand subsidence monitoring citywide. In August, a new "Road Safety Division" will be established within City Hall to systematize underground safety management.

○ The city's priority inspection zones will expand from 139 km to 368 km in 2025. High-risk zones (27 locations in 6 districts) designated by local governments, as well as major excavation sites such as the Sasang-Hadan Metro and Bukhang underground road, will undergo prioritized inspections based on frequency and risk level.

○ A supplementary budget has been allocated to add a new GPR inspection vehicle and hire additional experts to enhance inspection capabilities. The new vehicle will be deployed next year for focused surveys in areas at risk of subsidence.

○ Sewer line maintenance is underway in coordination with all 16 districts. This year, 287.8 km will be inspected by CCTV and 3,124 km will undergo technical assessments. Immediate repairs will be made to damaged sections. Water pipelines (17 km) are being upgraded with a budget of 25.3 billion KRW. From May, remote leak detection sensors were installed in the Sasang-Hadan construction section for real-time monitoring.

○ Starting in July, the Sinkhole Response Task Force will be expanded to include local districts, comprising 10 departments across 3 teams under the Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs. The task force will begin with a kickoff meeting in early July.

○ The results of GPR inspections for subsidence prevention will be published on the city's official website (Safety Information section) on June 30.

○ Citizens can report suspected subsidence to the 120 Call Center, which routes alerts during weekdays to the relevant departments and, during nights and holidays, to the duty office and disaster response center. Immediate responses will be ensured. A reward system is under review for citizens reporting emergencies or significant ground subsidence.

In parallel with subsidence response, Busan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) is also activating its comprehensive summer flood disaster response plan.

○ With the goal of zero casualties, the city has initiated a strategy targeting five high-risk types and began implementing it on May 15 with the start of the summer disaster response period.

○ The 2025 Flood Disaster Plan focuses on: ① strengthened response/management systems, ② identifying and managing high-risk areas, and ③ intensively managing five high-risk categories (① underground spaces, ② landslides/slopes, ③ rivers, ④ large-scale construction sites, ⑤ coastal facilities).

○ Emergency alert levels for strong winds have been raised from "attention" to "caution," and the number of surveillance CCTV cameras in risk areas has been increased (from 33,282 in 2024 to 34,045 in 2025).

○ A total of 339 flood-prone locations have been designated, with 51 high-risk sites under enhanced inspection. The city has strengthened early evacuation protocols and expanded disaster mitigation infrastructure for each risk type.

○ To prevent further manhole-related accidents, a full inspection of manholes will be completed by June, and fall-prevention devices will be installed at 14,847 priority manholes by November.

○ The city’s top priority is citizen safety. At construction sites such as Oncheon Bridge No. 5 and Dongcheon seawater pipelines, concrete blocks and cofferdams that obstruct water flow during the rainy season have been removed. At the suspended Myeongjang Park site, emergency reserve funds have been allocated to complete drainage and sediment control works.

○ For flood- and collapse-prone zones, resident evacuation plans have been prepared in advance, and 660 vulnerable individuals such as the elderly have been matched with 784 civilian helpers.

○ During early-morning weather alerts, the city will facilitate real-time weather information sharing between agencies to support rapid decision-making and evacuation.

Deputy Mayor Lee Jun-seung stated, “We will leave no gaps in our preparations for disasters that affect citizens’ daily lives, from ground subsidence to summer storms,” and added, “Easing public anxiety is the first step of administration. We will continue to monitor the field and ensure all necessary actions are in place to prioritize citizen safety.”