On the fourth day following the collapse of the Cheongyongcheon Bridge on the Seoul-Sejong Expressway, a press conference was held where Joo Woo-jung, CEO of Hyundai Engineering, the main contractor, bowed in apology. They pledged to support the bereaved families and the injured with funeral arrangements, treatment costs, and living expenses. Additionally, psychological counseling will be provided to help alleviate the emotional shock for both the families and the injured.
The accident occurred on the 25th around 9:49 AM as a section for installing DR girders collapsed during the movement of the launcher from A2 to P3 of the Cheongyongcheon Bridge. This incident resulted in the fall of ten workers, with four fatalities and six injuries. The injured were rushed to various hospitals including Pyeongtaek Good Morning Hospital and Ajou University Hospital for treatment.
The government has established a Construction Accident Investigation Committee to investigate the cause of the accident. The committee, chaired by a civil engineering structure expert, Professor Yang Eun-ik, consists of 12 civil, academic, and research experts and is expected to take about two months to complete its investigation. Meanwhile, the police and labor authorities have initiated a forced investigation of Hyundai Engineering, the supervising contractor.
CEO Joo expressed Hyundai Engineering’s cooperation with the investigation and commitment to the restoration of Route 34 and its surrounding facilities post-investigation. The construction project, commissioned by the Korea Expressway Corporation, includes 4.1 km of road, nine bridges totaling 1,195 meters, and three tunnels totaling 1,311 meters, with a projected completion date of December 2026.
The project is a joint venture with Hyundai Engineering holding 57.2%, Hoban Industrial holding 34.4%, and Beomyang Construction holding 8.4%, and the contract value is approximately 205.3 billion KRW, with Hyundai Engineering’s portion being around 117.5 billion KRW. The subcontractors involved, Jangheon Construction and Gangsan Development, hold the patent for the DR girder method, with eight of the ten victims belonging to Jangheon Construction and two to Gangsan Development.