NC Department Store's operations halted due to cracks in ceiling, again

The operation of NC Department Store Yatap branch was temporarily halted by the city government of Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday after cracks were found in its ceilings, raising safety concerns. The issue became viral after photos of the store...

Temporary support structures are installed to prevent the ceiling from further collapse at NC Department Store's Yatap branch in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Monday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The operation of NC Department Store Yatap branch was temporarily halted by the city government of Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday after cracks were found in its ceilings, raising safety concerns. The issue became viral after photos of the store were posted on the internet on Monday.

The city government announced at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday that it would restrict usage of the department store. Determining that fractures on the ceiling of the second floor and the glass support beam on the ceiling of the first floor, which fell, affected the safety of the people, the city government decided to initiate a safety check.

A glass support beam that fell from the ceiling remains on the first floor of the NC Department Store's Yatap branch in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Monday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

It is assumed that the outdated plaster board cracked because it was unable to withstand the load, according to an emergency inspection ran by the municipal government.

According to the department store, one of its employees found the ceiling crack Monday morning, but it operated the venue as usual after installing temporary support pillars.

A customer reported the issue to the fire department hours later at 8:40 p.m. Monday.

The same building experienced a similar accident in July 2018 when plaster boards on the ceiling collapsed, due to the same cause. The store continued operating after remedial reinforcement work was done, but no thorough safety inspection was carried out. The seven-story department store opened in 1995.

BY CHOI SUN-EUL [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]