Land ministry to inspect 2,946 construction sites nationwide ahead of winter cold snaps, heavy snow

South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will conduct winter safety inspections at construction sites across the country from Monday through Dec. 24 to prevent cold-weather accidents before they occur.

The inspections will cover more than 2,900 construction sites nationwide deemed at risk of safety incidents due to falling winter temperatures. Twelve agencies will take part, including the ministry itself, regional land management offices and affiliated bodies.

Inspectors will focus on safety, quality and construction management in preparation for heavy snow, strong winds and cold snaps. The four areas of focus are: the condition of temporary structures such as external scaffolding, supports, fences and safety railings; concrete quality management, including thermal curing for cold-weather concrete poured when the daily average temperature falls below 4 degrees Celsius; the condition of earth-retaining temporary structures and measuring instruments at risk of deformation from ground freezing; and worker safety management at winter construction sites.

To ensure technical rigor, high-risk projects — including urban underground excavation, large-scale building construction, and bridge and tunnel work where accidents could cause significant casualties — will be inspected alongside outside experts. Sites where fatal accidents have occurred, as well as other sites being built by the same construction company, will be subject to special inspections.

Given a recent string of fall accidents at construction sites, inspectors will also check whether fall-prevention measures are in place, including safety railings and fall-arrest nets, and whether required accident-prevention steps have been carried out.

The ministry said it will impose penalty points, fines and other sanctions under relevant laws without exception when violations are found, including inadequate safety or quality management and shoddy construction.

Kim Myeong-jun, the ministry's director general for technology and safety policy, said the winter inspections would focus on identifying hazards specific to the season — such as those posed by cold snaps and heavy snow — while also checking whether sites are being managed and built in accordance with the safety and quality management plans approved by project owners. "We will do our utmost to prevent safety accidents," Kim said.

Meanwhile, the ministry, together with the Ministry of Interior and Safety, Korea Expressway Corporation and Wonju city, conducted a joint "2026 Heavy Snow Disaster Preparedness Drill" on Wednesday near the Chiaksan rest stop on the Jungang Expressway.