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Citizen Safety Comes First: Busan Metropolitan City Conducts Enhanced Inspection of Facility Safety Management

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, announced that it will conduct an Enhanced Inspection of Facility Safety Management to place the highest priority on citizen safety following the recent collapse of the Seosomun Overpass and the ceiling collapse at Lotte Department Store Centum City.

First, the city will reinforce the ongoing 2026 Intensive Safety Inspection (April 20–June 19). The Intensive Safety Inspection covers 1,457 facilities, including 20 facility categories designated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety—such as multi-use establishments, apartment complexes, construction sites, and traditional markets—as well as aging and high-risk facilities with elevated safety concerns.

By June 5, a total of 4,590 personnel, including 1,725 public officials, 319 employees from public corporations and agencies, and 2,546 private-sector experts, had conducted inspections at all 1,457 sites using specialized equipment such as drones, thermal imaging cameras, and insulation resistance testers.

As a result of the inspections, joint expert inspection teams determined that 3 sites require detailed safety diagnoses, 338 sites require repair and reinforcement work, and 404 sites require on-site corrective measures. The city plans to continuously monitor and supervise follow-up actions. For the remaining facilities, Busan Metropolitan City will strengthen joint inspections by public officials and private experts through June 19, when the inspection period concludes, to ensure there are no blind spots and to prevent safety accidents.

In addition, joint inspections of high-rise and underground-connected buildings will be conducted with private-sector experts from June 17 to June 19.

High-rise buildings are defined as structures with 50 or more floors or a height of at least 200 meters. In accordance with relevant laws, inspections are conducted twice annually to assess disaster response and support systems.

The city and district governments will conduct joint inspections with private experts, including certified fire protection engineers, at 43 high-rise buildings and 36 underground-connected buildings whose underground sections are linked to underground stations or underground shopping centers and that are either 11 stories or higher or accommodate at least 5,000 occupants. District governments will also operate separate self-inspection teams through June 30.

Key inspection items include the establishment and implementation of disaster prevention and damage mitigation plans; designation of a chief disaster manager and compliance with restrictions on concurrent positions and training requirements; organization and operation of initial response teams; installation and condition of integrated disaster control centers; and the adequacy of evacuation safety zones.

The city also plans to identify facilities requiring joint expert safety inspections and conduct inspections during June at five senior welfare facilities, including senior welfare centers; four homeless support facilities, including the Busan Hope Lighthouse Comprehensive Support Center; and two facilities for persons with disabilities, including the Busan Gomduri Sports Center, thereby contributing to safer activities for socially vulnerable groups.

To prevent damage from natural disasters such as heavy rainfall, preemptive inspections are currently underway from May 6 to June 26 at five retaining walls, eighteen underpasses, and ten sports facilities identified as vulnerable facilities.

Furthermore, to prevent incidents such as structural collapses at department stores frequented by large numbers of people, Busan Metropolitan City will conduct special inspections of safety management conditions from June 10 to June 26 at eight facilities, including department stores, large discount stores, performance venues, and youth facilities. The inspections are intended to eliminate risk factors in advance and strengthen safety awareness.

During field inspections, officials will focus on reviewing facility safety management conditions, operation of emergency response systems, and the adequacy of evacuation route management to ensure safe use by citizens.

Minor deficiencies identified during inspections will be corrected immediately on site and accompanied by safety consulting. Issues requiring corrective action will be addressed through corrective orders or improvement directives.

Busan Metropolitan City will continue to conduct regular inspections to proactively eliminate risk factors and strengthen disaster response capabilities, ensuring that citizen safety remains its highest priority.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Safety can never be overemphasized and is the highest value that cannot be compromised under any circumstances. We will continue to carry out proactive inspections of facilities with potential safety risks that could threaten citizens’ lives and property, and we will do our utmost to create an environment where citizens can feel secure through the enhancement of public safety.”