[Anchor]

As we previously reported, a controversy has arisen over whether or not a landslide was the cause of the apartment accident in Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do, which even resulted in casualties due to torrential rain. With the Korea Forest Service and local government reaching a tentative conclusion that it was not a landslide, the apartment complex might have to shoulder the recovery costs, leaving residents in disbelief.

Reporter Kim Minjun has more.

[Reporter]

In the early hours of the 17th, mud and soil engulfed an apartment complex in Okpo-dong, Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do, leaving three people dead or injured and dozens of vehicles damaged.

Some 120 residents are still unable to return to their homes. The Korea Forest Service and the local government concluded that the cause of the accident should be viewed as a "slope failure" on private apartment property rather than a landslide.

While it looks similar to a landslide in that soil and rocks collapsed from a slope, a slope failure occurs in areas altered by artificial construction, unlike landslides that happen in natural areas like forests.

In this case as well, although it looks like a mountain at a glance, a construction company purchased and excavated the land back in 1993, which is why officials say it must be classified as a slope failure.

Apartment residents are dumbfounded by the prospect that, if classified as a "man-made disaster" rather than a natural one, the responsibility for recovery would principally fall on the private sector and the apartment residents rather than the state or local governments.

[Nearby Resident: That is not right. That is truly not right. Anyone looking at this would call it a landslide.]

They expressed intense anger over the news that residents might have to pay for recovery and compensation costs out of pocket if disaster relief funds and donations fall short.

[Nearby Resident: It makes no sense. It makes no sense at all. Why should the people here bear the responsibility?]

A similar accident occurred in August 2022 at an apartment complex in Sadang-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul.

Torrential rain caused mud to slide down and collapse a retaining wall within the complex, but because it was not classified as a landslide, the residents were responsible for the recovery.

However, after being declared a special disaster zone, the Dongjak-gu Office carried out emergency restoration work, investing approximately 3.8 billion won from national, city, and district budgets, and the residents did not have to cover the costs.

As the government declared Geoje and Tongyeong as special disaster zones on Friday (the 21st), the Geoje City Hall stated regarding the matter, "Administratively, it is viewed as a slope failure, but we are currently reviewing whether to provide recovery support."

(Video by Jeong Gyeong-mun, Video Editing by Choi Hye-ran, Design by Lee Jun-ho)