Pervious Blocks Failing to Drain Water Prompt Nationwide Inspection Probe

[Anchor]

We have brought you consecutive reports on how pervious blocks, designed to allow rainwater to drain through, are failing to function properly. Now, the Ministers of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety have vowed to conduct a nationwide inspection.

Reporter Jeong Banseok has the details.

[Reporter]

Pervious blocks are designed with numerous microscopic pores inside to allow rainwater to drain away.

However, SBS reports revealed that in more than half of the sample inspections, drainage was inadequate or failed completely. Furthermore, when recently installed pervious blocks were collected and tested, they fell short of the grades listed in their delivery test reports.

Following a full inspection by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, related questions continued in the National Assembly.

[Park Ji-won / Democratic Party lawmaker (National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts): It seems necessary to conduct a nationwide inspection regarding pervious blocks. Will you consider this?]

[Han Sung-sook / Prime Minister: I understand that Seoul and various local governments are conducting inspections.]

Cabinet ministers promised a nationwide inspection.

[Kim Yoon-deok / Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: We will compile comprehensive data on the pervious block issues being handled by local governments and the Ministry...]

[Yunho / Minister of the Interior and Safety: We will have our safety inspection division and another division verifying the appropriateness of local contracts investigate the sites constructed nationwide...]

The Public Procurement Service also decided to look into whether there were any unfair procurement practices among pervious block manufacturers.

Over the past year, public sector orders for pervious blocks totaled 121.8 billion won, a 44 percent increase in two years.

As the biotop area ratio system—which requires securing permeable surfaces during various development projects—has been tightened, the installation of pervious blocks is also increasing in the private sector.

[Choi Kyoung-young / President of the Low Impact Development Association (Adjunct Professor at Seoul National University): In a situation where there is no management entity and nobody pays attention, costs are simply increasing for shoddy work while they fail to function effectively in reality.]

Calls are growing louder that, to prevent repeated flood damage and wasted budgets, thorough post-management is essential rather than simply stopping at laying down pervious blocks.

(Video Editing: Choi Hye-ran, Design: Park Tae-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.