Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport launches underground facility lookup service Wednesday
A new online service will let construction workers and developers instantly check whether water pipes, gas lines or telecommunications cables run beneath a given site.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday it will launch a quick underground facility lookup service and an electronic-file version of its integrated underground spatial map. The services are made possible by consolidating location and material data for facilities managed by separate agencies — including water and sewage systems, gas lines and telecommunications infrastructure — into a single digital database.
Previously, building owners and developers had to contact each managing agency separately — local governments for water and sewage, Korea Gas Corporation for gas lines, and individual carriers for telecommunications — to determine what lay underground at a project site. Now, users can log in to the Vworld geospatial open platform, enter an address and immediately see whether underground facilities are present nearby. Registration is required.
Underground spatial data, which had previously been available only as paper drawings to protect security, will also be provided in encrypted electronic file format.
Underground development operators can apply for data access through the Underground Safety Information System and conduct detailed spatial analysis in a secured environment. The data will be automatically deleted once its preset validity period expires.
Jung Eui-kyung, director general of the ministry's Land and Urban Affairs Bureau, called the initiative "a prime example of digital administrative innovation that helps the public access underground spatial information quickly and conveniently while further strengthening the security of critical national spatial data." She added that the ministry would continue building "a smart underground spatial information environment that the public can use with confidence."
Meanwhile, the Korea Infrastructure Safety Corporation is already providing pre-consultation services for underground safety assessments at excavation sites deeper than 10 meters, as part of broader efforts to manage safety risks from small-scale urban excavation work.
smh@heraldcorp.com
