Sinkholes continue to cause alarm in Seoul, with residents expressing growing anxiety over the stability of the city’s streets. At around 8:50 a.m. on April 13, a sinkhole measuring 40 cm in diameter and 1.3 m deep opened in front of Aeogae Station in Mapo district, western Seoul, leading to partial lane closures for over seven hours.
Earlier this month, a smaller sinkhole was discovered near Sinmyeong Elementary School in the eastern district of Gangdong. on April 2, measuring 20 cm wide and 50 cm deep. Just 980 m away from that location, a massive sinkhole measuring 18 by 20 meters and 18 meters deep killed one person in Myeongil-dong on March 24. Then, on April 10, another road depression was found in front of Exit 1 at Gil-dong Station, also in Gangdong, measuring 50 cm wide, 1 m long, and 5 cm deep.
As the ground continues to sink across Seoul, residents are growing increasingly anxious. “At this point, it feels like the ground could collapse anywhere,” said a 71-year-old local at the site of the Aeogae sinkhole. “I’m scared to drive.”
A Chosun Ilbo analysis of Seoul city data shows that 63 sinkholes have been reported across the capital over the past three years, from March 2022 to last month, with 19 or nearly 30% concentrated in the upscale districts of Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa. Only two districts, Gwangjin and Geumcheon, reported no sinkholes during that time.
Experts say the recent sinkholes are especially troubling because they are happening in spring, not during the summer monsoon season, when heavy rains typically weaken the ground. “No part of Seoul feels safe right now,” one expert warned. Despite several measures by the government and local authorities, concerns are growing that more sinkholes could appear once the summer rains arrive.
