Safety Concerns Over Lotte World Tower
Mysterious sinkholes, decreasing water levels in the lake nearby, and a series of safety issues has been giving the Lotte World Tower a bad rep.
Lotte is in the process of building the tower, which is to be Seoul’s tallest building and 6th tallest in the world. This giant entertainment center, which will include hotels, an aquarium, galleries, cafes, and more, has been under constant scrutiny for good reason.
In April, a 38-year-old man died while working on the 12th floor of the entertainment wing when a metal lid from an exploding pipe hit him.
In October, a civic group raised concerns because cracks were found on the floor. Lotte officials responded by saying that the cracks were not a safety hazard, but part of the building’s décor. According to the Lotte Engineering and construction official, the cracks were simply “markings intended to recreate the appearance of the streets of Seoul from the 30’s to the 70’s.”
Just a month after the ‘decorative’ cracks on th
e floors were found, an additional crack 50 cm long was found on the ceiling of the 8th floor. Again, the Lotte officials dismissed the issue by saying that the it was not a problem because it was just “a crack in your skin, not the bone.” Despite Lotte’s reassurances of the safety of the building, there are those concerned that the crack appeared on the ceiling even without having any additional weight put on it.
As if this wasn’t enough, December has brought on additional issues. Water was found leaking through cracks in the basement ceiling as well as in the aquarium. Although there were those that raised concerns that a bigger water leakage would be detrimental to the electrical substation located in basement levels 3,4, and 5 just below the aquarium, Lotte gave a statement that “the small leaks in the aquarium can be easily fixed and will not be dangerous to the public.”
Construction of the tower is to expected to be finished in 2016.
Credit: Arirang News