Seocho-gu to inspect public parking facilities more than 10 years old

Seocho-gu in Seoul announced Monday that it will conduct precision safety inspections of 12 public parking facilities built with reinforced concrete or steel structures that have been in use for more than 10 years. The district said the initiative is a preemptive safety management measure aimed at identifying and eliminating potential hazards before they emerge.

Carried out under the Special Act on the Safety and Maintenance of Facilities, the inspections will involve specialized agencies evaluating structural integrity, cracks, water leaks and corrosion, with comprehensive safety ratings assigned to each facility. Inspectors will use precision measurement equipment to go beyond the limitations of simple visual checks, and the findings will inform a phased maintenance and repair plan. The district began inspections last week and has allocated a total budget of 135 million won (about $89,300) for the effort.

Seocho-gu has signed a service contract for the inspections, with intensive checks scheduled to run through Sept. 11. The facilities under review include high-traffic sites such as the Bangbae Open Cultural Center, the Banpo 2-dong (Dulwich College) lot and Guryong Park. The district said it expects the inspections to significantly boost public confidence in the safety of its parking facilities.

"Public parking facilities are closely tied to residents' daily lives, so rigorous safety management is our top priority," a district official said. "Through scientific and thorough inspections, we will eliminate risk factors in advance and create a parking environment where residents can feel safe."