[비즈한국] It has been identified that there are over 500 facilities nationwide with defects in key areas that dictate their structural integrity and safety among those subject to safety management. Furthermore, more than 4,000 facilities have no safety grade at all because they have not undergone mandatory safety inspections or assessments within the required timeframe. This means that not only are there facilities with confirmed defects, but a significant number of facilities have not had their safety status verified on time.
513 Facilities with Defects in Core Components… 6 Out of 10 Are Private
According to data on the "Status of Facility Safety Grades" obtained by Bizhankook through an information disclosure request to the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety, there were a total of 513 facilities nationwide with defects in major components as of the end of June this year. There are 457 facilities classified as Grade D (Insufficient), which require urgent repair or reinforcement and a decision on usage restrictions, and 56 facilities classified as Grade E (Poor), which pose a risk to facility safety due to serious defects and require immediate prohibition of use and reinforcement or reconstruction.
Facility safety grades are divided into five levels based on condition. Grade A (Excellent) is the best state with no issues, and Grade B (Good) means the facility functions well but requires some repairs. Grade C (Average) indicates that minor defects have occurred in major components, but the overall safety is not compromised. The stage requiring urgent response due to defects in major components begins at Grade D. In the case of Grade E, serious defects have occurred in major components, necessitating an immediate ban on use.
There are 187,021 facilities nationwide subject to safety management. According to the Facility Safety Act, facilities of a certain size or those requiring continuous safety management are subject to statutory safety management. This includes not only buildings but also bridges, tunnels, ports, and dams. Facility management entities must conduct regular safety inspections and assessments, and take necessary measures such as repairs and reinforcements based on the assigned safety grade results.
More dangerous facilities were identified in the private sector. Among facilities managed by the public sector, 182 were Grade D and 24 were Grade E, totaling 206. Conversely, private facilities totaled 307, with 275 Grade D and 32 Grade E facilities. While the total number of facilities subject to safety management was similar—90,306 (48%) in the public sector and 96,715 (52%) in the private sector—about 6 out of 10 Grade D and E facilities belonged to the private sector.
Lee Kang-seok, a professor at Hanyang University and president of the Korea Institute for Structural Maintenance and Inspection, stated, "Of the 187,021 total managed facilities, D and E grades account for about 0.27%, or 513 facilities. While it is difficult to say the ratio is high based on the overall percentage, it is a figure that cannot be taken lightly in terms of structural safety," adding, "More important than the number itself is how quickly necessary measures, such as usage restrictions or repairs and reinforcements, are taken after the grade is determined."
4,167 Facilities Without Safety Inspections or Assessments… No Safety Grades
There were also 4,167 facilities that did not have safety grades because they had not undergone safety inspections or assessments. This accounts for 2.2% of all facilities subject to safety management, with 2,834 being public and 1,333 being private. These are not merely facilities where the safety grade was not registered; they are facilities that failed to undergo the necessary inspections and assessments even though the statutory deadline had arrived. Consequently, the current level of safety of these facilities cannot be verified through safety grades.
Facility safety grades are determined based on the results of safety inspections and assessments. Facilities subject to precise safety inspections must undergo their first inspection within 3 years of completion or approval for use (within 4 years for buildings). Once a safety grade is assigned, the interval between inspections and assessments shortens as the condition worsens. Facilities subject to precise safety assessments are required to receive their initial assessment within 1 year after 10 years have passed since completion or approval for use.
An official from the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety explained, "There are cases where management entities are unaware that their facility is subject to management, and small-scale management entities sometimes cannot carry them out due to a lack of resources," adding, "For non-compliance, we send official letters to management entities to guide them to perform the omitted inspections and assessments. I understand that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and local governments are imposing fines or conducting joint inspections."
Professor Lee Kang-seok remarked, "The safety of a structure is not just about 'whether there is a problem now,' but about how early performance degradation is detected and how timely interventions are made," noting, "It is particularly important to strengthen preventive maintenance systems rather than ex-post responses for small-scale or aging facilities, where management conditions can be relatively fragile."