Road subsidence, crack found near Lotte Tower
A car runs on a cracked road near the second Lotte World in southern Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) said Thursday that it is investigating the cause of road subsidence and a crack found nearby the second Lotte World in southern Seoul.
According to the city government, it found two areas of subsidence and a 30-meter crack on roads adjacent to the problem-ridden 123-story skyscraper on Tuesday.
This came only one day after the SMG warned that additional safety lapses regarding the tower without Lotte’s proper safety management and response systems could cause it to be shut down immediately. The company is now scrambling to set up the proper systems.
The SMG does not believe that the construction of the building, which is scheduled to be completed in 2016, is the cause of the problems.
It ordered Songpa-gu Office and Dongbu Roads and Bridges Maintenance Office to find the sources of the problems and fix them. The SMG also told them to conduct regular safety inspections on roads around the building.
“As soon as the cause is confirmed, we will take follow-up measures after discussing the issues with the SMG,” said a Lotte official.