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| A crack in a 5,200-ton water tank in Lotte Aquarium is seen after it was repaired, Tuesday. / Yonhap |
The newly-built structure reignites safety concerns
By Lee Kyung-min
Lotte found water leaking from an aquarium inside Lotte World Tower in southern Seoul last week, but failed to evacuate customers, according to the group, Tuesday.
This is the latest of various safety concerns raised about the tower since its partial opening in October.
Lotte said company inspectors found a crack in a 5,200-ton water tank on the second basement level of the building on Dec. 3, but fixed the problem. The firm said the crack was caused by weakened acrylic coating on the tunnel's wall.
"We discovered a 1 millimeter crack on Dec 3, and fixed the problem by Dec. 6. Approximately 200 milliliters of water an hour had been leaking," Lotte said in a statement.
Prior to the information released by the company, some media outlets reported that the crack was 7 centimeters long.
Reynolds Polymer Technology, which built the aquarium, said cracks and leaks are frequently found in new aquariums and repaired.
However, public criticism is mounting against Lotte since it did not provide visitors with adequate warning about the leaking tank.
When visitors asked why the aquarium area was still "under construction," the workers barred them from entering citing "environmental reasons."
The incident will likely add to public worries since below the aquarium lies the Seokchon transformer substation, so the rupturing of a tank could cause a massive disaster.
The second Lotte World has been the focus of continuous media scrutiny and public criticism regarding safety issues.
On Nov. 3, a 50-centimiter crack was found on the ceiling of the eighth floor of the Avinuel, and a number of sinkholes were found in the road nearby.
Civic groups have long urged Lotte to beef up safety measures in order to prevent accidents.
"We cannot stand idly by when Seoul city and Lotte are pushing forward with the opening based on profit-driven motives. Public safety should always precede corporate interests," said an official from People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.
