Sinkhole disaster victim's family files criminal complaint against Seoul, Daewoo E&C
Published: 05 Mar. 2026, 15:01
Updated: 05 Mar. 2026, 18:42
![Firefighters prepare for search and rescue operations at an intersection near Seoul Daemyeong Elementary School in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, on March 24, 2025. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/05/257cbef0-5ceb-4023-8b44-e1b5aefd3f49.jpg)
Firefighters prepare for search and rescue operations at an intersection near Seoul Daemyeong Elementary School in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, on March 24, 2025. [YONHAP]
The family of a delivery driver who died in a sinkhole accident in eastern Seoul in March last year filed a criminal complaint on Wednesday against Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Daewoo Engineering & Construction CEO Kim Bo-hyun, accusing them of failing to prevent the disaster.
The family of the victim, surnamed Park, submitted the complaint to the Seoul Gangdong Police Precinct, according to legal sources on Wednesday.
Special Act on Underground Safety ManagementThe complaint also accuses Kim and the construction site manager at the time of the incident of violating the Special Act on Underground Safety Management.
“The defendants failed to take the management measures required under safety and health laws,” the family said in the complaint. “Despite repeated complaints from nearby merchants, they did not take steps to prevent the accident. That clearly violates the law."
The family’s lawyer pointed to a lack of accountability since the accident.
“One year has passed since the accident, but there has been no punishment and no recovery for the victims,” said Lee Young-hoon, a lawyer at the law firm Weon who represents the bereaved family. “A report by the Central Underground Accident Investigation Committee confirmed multiple legal violations, so the family decided to hold the Seoul city government, which ordered the project, and the contractor Daewoo Engineering & Construction responsible."
The accident occurred on March 24 last year on a road near Seoul Daemyeong Elementary School in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, when a sinkhole about 16 meters (52.5 feet) deep opened in the middle of the road, causing Park, who was riding a motorcycle through the area, to fall into the hole and die.
Investigators from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Central Underground Accident Investigation Committee spent about eight months examining the accident.
The investigation concluded that weakened ground conditions combined with highway tunnel construction and leaks from aging sewage pipes contributed to the collapse.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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