Government to Inspect 115 Aging Bridges Following Seosomun Overpass Collapse

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it will conduct a joint government safety inspection of aging bridges in the wake of the Seosomun Overpass collapse.
The inspection will take place from today, June 23, to July 3, with participation from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety, and the Korean Society of Civil and Structural Engineers, which consists of private experts.
The inspection targets 115 bridges out of 36,444 public bridges nationwide that have been rated as "poor" (Grade D) or "hazardous" (Grade E) in safety assessments.
Key inspection items include whether safety checks were conducted in accordance with the Facility Safety Act, whether there are major structural defects, and whether emergency safety measures or repairs and reinforcements have been implemented.
Kim Gwang-yong, head of the Disaster and Safety Management Office at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "Through this joint government inspection, we will thoroughly examine the management status of aging bridges across the country and promptly implement safety measures to ensure that similar accidents do not occur again."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.