Deadly Seoul sinkhole raises alarm as South Korea sees 1,345 cases since 2018

An investigator taking photos of a sinkhole outside a plant shop on a road in Seoul on March 25, 2025. - AFP

SEOUL: A fatal sinkhole that opened in the middle of a busy street in Seoul on March 24 is raising new alarms about the growing risk of ground collapses in South Korea’s ever-developing urban centres.

As cities across the country expand underground infrastructure — from subways to drainage systems — concerns are growing over whether safety regulations are keeping pace.