Three People Died In Flood, Seoul To Ban Underground And Semi-Basement Houses

The Han River that crosses Seoul City overflowed due to heavy rains. (Wikimedia Commons/YaMaDa)

JAKARTA - The Seoul City Government will no longer grant permits to build underground or basement and semi-basement houses, while pushing to gradually phase out existing model houses, officials said Wednesday.

The plan follows the deaths of three family members in a flooded semi-basement house in Seoul's Gwanak District Monday night, as rainfall hit the city and surrounding areas hit a record.

A woman in her 40s, who is reported to have a developmental disability, along with her sister and her sister's teenage daughter, sought help after their house was flooded by heavy rains. However, they were found dead hours later, when rescue teams pumped flood water and entered the house, reported the Korea Times August 10.

"I pray for the victims and apologize on behalf of the government, to the people who have been disturbed," South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said at a meeting of the National Assembly, citing Yonhap.

By 2020, five percent or 200,000 of the total homes in Seoul will be at the basement or semi-basement level.

Authorities said they would initiate consultations with the government to revise the Building Act, so as to completely ban the use of basements and semi-basements for residential purposes, officials said.

In addition, the authority plans to instruct its 25 district offices this week not to grant construction permits for underground homes until an expected revision of the Building Act, according to officials.

The Seoul City Government plans to give owners of existing basement or semi-basement houses up to 20 years to transfer them to non-residential use.

In return, the city will provide incentives to owners, such as subsidizing renovations, or buying their underground properties to turn them into communal warehouses or community facilities, according to the official.