Examples of repair and reinforcement work at privately owned safety-risk facilities under a Seoul Metropolitan Government support program. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Examples of repair and reinforcement work at privately owned safety-risk facilities under a Seoul Metropolitan Government support program. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will subsidize repairs at privately owned facilities deemed safety risks. Eligible sites include aging retaining walls, hillside fences and residential slopes where accidents could occur. Residents who report such hazards can receive financial support for repair and reinforcement work after an on-site inspection.

The program targets privately owned facilities that pose disaster risks or require urgent safety measures, the city said Tuesday. Particularly eligible are residential slopes, retaining walls on small aging buildings, hillside fences, and privately owned roads and staircases — structures whose failure could harm nearby residents.

Facilities used or occupied by the elderly, children or people with disabilities, social welfare facilities, and third-category structures rated D or E that require emergency safety measures are also covered.

Residents who spot a potentially dangerous or structurally unsound facility in their neighborhood can report it to their local community center or the district building safety center.

The relevant district office then conducts an on-site inspection and submits a proposed repair plan to the city. The program will operate on a rolling basis through the second half of the year. Submitted cases go to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Safety Management Advisory Panel for a field review, after which a selection committee decides whether to approve funding.

From February through June this year, the city provided a total of 384 million won ($271,000) to repair and reinforce 12 privately owned safety-risk facilities ahead of the spring thaw and rainy season. Last month, four additional sites were selected in preparation for the monsoon and heavy rainfall, with 124 million won earmarked for their repair and reinforcement.

The city plans to identify and support additional hazardous facilities in the second half of the year. "We will work to prevent accidents by proactively eliminating risk factors," said Kim Yong-hak, Seoul's director of construction technology policy.


ken@heraldcorp.com