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Supreme Court upholds three convictions for tragic 2021 building collapse

Published: 14 Aug. 2025, 14:51 Updated: 14 Aug. 2025, 16:40

Vehicles pass the site of a deadly building collapse in the southwestern city of Gwangju in this file photo taken June 11, 2021. [YONHAP]

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the convictions of three construction officials in relation to a fatal building collapse in the southwestern city of Gwangju four years ago.

The five-story building collapsed during demolition work on June 9, 2021, falling onto a nearby bus and leaving nine people dead and eight others seriously injured.

The court upheld a lower court's sentence of two and a half years for the 51-year-old, surnamed Cho, who had been operating an excavator at the site during the collapse, and a two-year term for the 32-year-old site manager surnamed Kang.

The court also confirmed a one and a half-year term, suspended for three years, for a 63-year-old site supervisor, surnamed Cha, who did not carry out an inspection of the site.

All three were charged with death by occupational negligence and violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

The court said it did not find fault with the lower court's legal rationale.

Yonhap