Separate supervision from inspection

Since one individual is responsible for the entire construction process, corruption can naturally arise.

Hong Sung-yongThe author is an architect and the board chair of Seoul Architecture Forum. State-run Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) again emerged as a hornet’s nest, embroiled in a string of corruption crimes spanning from collusive bidding and bribery while its reputation remains in question due to the stunning findings of its endorsement of “boneless,” or rebar-deficient, apartments for public sale.

As many as 17 companies and 19 individuals, including public officials and national and private university professors were indicted for collusively awarding contracts to supervise public infrastructure projects in return for money. The revelation of the extensive cartel is dumbfounding. Disasters from structural failures persist despite the repeated vows of correction and toughened safety regulations following the deadly collapse of an apartment construction site in Gwangju in 2022 and the breakdown of an LH-sponsored apartment in Incheon due to the deficiency in steel reinforcements last year. Collusive bidding and bribery related to the awarding of supervision constitute a grave crime that jeopardizes people’s lives.

The disasters stem not just from a few dishonest people, but from the organizational involvement of expert groups. The fact that the collusive legacy lasted over a few decades implies a serious malaise in the industry. The rollback in the accountability of a builder and the ambiguity in the supervisory role could have fed the default.

It could be unfair to simply compare Korea’s case with other advanced countries like the United States or Japan due to differences in the construction system. But the biggest difference lies in the interpretation of supervision. In most countries, builders are liable for the entire technical and engineering process and subject to inspection and approval by certified safety officers across electricity, fire code compliance and structure oversight.

In the United States and the United Kingdom, the building process requires a step-by-step check and clearance from inspectors. Electric and fire safety inspectors must examine the site and give their approval for the building to move onto the next stage. The inspectors are skilled experts with the authority to stop the construction if they suspect any defects. In Singapore, independent inspectors check the building process on a daily basis to ensure safety.

But the supervisory role in Korea is fuzzily bundled up. A supervisor is responsible for both inspection and oversight. The legacy could have come from the shortage of skilled professionals and expediency to save costs in the past.

The architect who designed the structure also supervised the construction. Since one individual is responsible for the entire construction process, corruption can naturally arise. Each disaster’s aftermath has stoked demands for a system overhaul to separate oversight and supervision, but they were ignored.

If left unattended, the ambiguity in the responsibility for a construction process can only feed the chains of negligent engineering, corruption and bribery cartels. Integrity defines the health of the construction industry. Korea’s architectural and building expertise has piled up to generate an army of professionals. There are many who are capable of examining and assessing the overall building process.

A state exam administered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport produces about 1,000 licensed architects every year. Some of them can be trained as accredited supervisors. The labor pool of engineers and technicians is also rich. The supervisory role must be separated from the inspector’s role to toughen oversight on safety and quality control just like in advanced countries.

It is important to appreciate the role of licensed architects to strictly divide the inspecting and supervisory roles. Those without a license should be prohibited by law from calling themselves as architects. If frauds are tolerated, illicit lobbying and solicitations will persist to breed time bombs in construction sites from slack inspection, supervision and construction that can jeopardize our lives.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.