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| (Photo: Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Economy — Reporter Park Nam-suk] The disclosure that 178 tonnes of reinforcing steel were omitted from the design at the GTX-A Samsung Station construction site, where Hyundai Engineering & Construction is the general contractor, has provoked a major controversy.
Hyundai E&C CEO Lee Han-woo personally appeared before the National Assembly and bowed in apology over the incident.
On May 20, at a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, Rep. Hwang Un-ha of the National Innovation Party sharply criticized Lee, asking, “Isn’t this a serious problem? Is Hyundai capable of only this?”
Lee said, “As the person directly responsible, I feel the weight of this matter. This was a failure on Hyundai E&C’s part. I accept full responsibility and cannot hold my head up.”
He added, “If you must reproach us, do so. We will prioritize safety and quality to make sure this never happens again.”
Lawmakers also faulted the supervising firm, Saman. Rep. Hwang told Saman CEO Choi Dong-sik, “If supervision had been performed properly, this would not have occurred. Supervision exists to identify problems like this.”
Choi acknowledged shortcomings in the oversight process, saying, “I have nothing to add, but it appears we failed to recognize that these were two-bundle reinforcing bars.”
Seoul city officials have taken a cautious stance on ordering a full rebuild.
Kim Seong-bo, Seoul’s Second Deputy Mayor for Administration, said of the cracks in the top slab and walls, “This is not simply a question of patching things up; we must ensure a structurally sound solution.”
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