'We're terrified': Sinkhole triggers panicked hotel evacuation

A sinkhole in eastern Seoul caused building tilting and evacuations amid increased incidents linked to heavy summer rains and construction.

A sinkhole opened on the evening of July 23 at the construction site of an underground parking lot next to a multipurpose government building in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul. [YONHAP]

A gaping sinkhole opened beneath a construction site in eastern Seoul on Wednesday evening, tilting a nearby building and forcing dozens of residents to flee — the latest in a wave of ground collapses rattling cities across Korea amid record summer rains.

A massive ground collapse occurred at a construction site in Imun 2-dong, Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, on Wednesday around 7:35 p.m., where a multiuse government building is under construction. The sinkhole measured 5 meters long (16.4 feet), 2.5 meters deep and 13 square meters wide. One nearby building began to tilt dangerously, forcing 36 residents to evacuate to a nearby hotel in the middle of the night.

By 8 a.m. Thursday, authorities had hastily filled the cavity with soil, but the adjacent commercial building remained visibly tilted and cordoned off. One window had shattered. The sinkhole had opened just two meters from the foundation of the building.

A smaller depression had been discovered at the same location at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, and city officials carried out temporary repairs. But the ground collapsed again later that same evening.

At 10 a.m. Thursday, city and district officials convened a joint expert panel but could not reach a consensus. The investigation continues, with officials vowing more in-depth analysis of the site.

Dongdaemun District's Imun 2-dong, eastern Seoul, on July 24 around 8:30 a.m. [JUN YUL]

Residents are shaken.

“I rushed out with just my underwear. I couldn’t even grab my blood pressure meds,” said Park Ae-ri, 71, who lives nearby and evacuated with her family. “I haven’t been able to eat since. I’m terrified our home will collapse.”

Kim, 77, who owns a nearby store, said, “I pass that spot near the subway station every day. With no clear cause, all I can do is watch my step.”

Some worry the damage could have been worse. “If the sinkhole had been just a bit wider or closer, the whole building could’ve gone down,” said Go Ah-na, 35, who lives in a building directly behind the collapse. “I couldn’t evacuate with young kids. I barely slept. The construction site is too close to the houses. We’ve always felt the tremors. We’re not in a position to move. We’re terrified.”

Across Korea, sinkholes are emerging with alarming frequency. A massive one opened on July 19 in Gwangju’s Dong District after days of heavy rain. Just two days earlier, the city had seen more than 478 millimeters of rainfall.

On July 17, when a heavy rain warning was in effect across Gwangju, a large sinkhole opened on a road near a hotel in Jisan-dong, Dong District, Gwangju, leading to road closures. [YONHAP]

In Seoul alone, 72 sinkhole cases were reported in the first half of 2025, with 44 occurring during torrential rains in May. From July 8 to 10, three consecutive ground collapses hit Incheon’s Seo District.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 1,398 ground subsidence incidents occurred nationwide between 2018 and 2024. Nearly half — 672 — happened during the summer.

Experts say the combination of intense rainfall, nearby construction, and shifting groundwater is creating dangerous voids underground.

“The sinkhole likely existed beforehand. The rain just triggered the collapse,” said Park Chang-geun, a civil engineering professor at Catholic Kwandong University. “Water probably carried soil away through underground paths linked to the construction site, leaving empty space behind.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY JUN YUL [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]