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Busan to install devices to prevent people from falling into manholes

Published: 18 Jun. 2025, 15:52

A manhole in Busan fitted with a fall-prevention device [BUSAN METROPOLITAN CITY]

The Busan city government will install fall-prevention devices in more than 14,000 manholes located in flood-prone areas by the end of this year, officials said Wednesday, following a near-fatal accident that underscored the city’s vulnerability during heavy rains.

The effort, set to begin in July and continue through December, comes in response to a June 14 incident in Busan's Yeonsan-dong, Yeonje District, where a pedestrian fell into a manhole forced open by torrential rain. The victim, unaware of the missing cover while walking, plunged more than 2 meters (6.5 feet) into the opening but was rescued unharmed by a nearby shopkeeper.

That manhole had been installed in 2022 — just before the Ministry of Environment updated design standards to mandate fall-prevention systems, such as interior metal nets to catch or slow falls. While all new manholes in Busan now meet the revised standard, retrofitting older infrastructure has lagged.

Out of 17,587 manholes identified in flood-risk areas, only 2,731 — or about 15.5 percent — had fall-prevention devices as of May.

Firefighters and police install fall-prevention devices in a manhole in Busan. [BUSAN FIRE DISASTER HEADQUARTERS]

“We have been installing the safety systems gradually, increasing the installation rate by at least 7 percent annually,” a city official said. “But the total coverage remains low as the program is still in its early stages.”

Busan plans to complete a comprehensive survey of all manholes this month and begin installing safety devices in the remaining 14,000 fall-prone units in the second half of the year.

“We also plan to expand the installations to general areas starting next year,” said Lee Byung-seok, head of the city's Environmental Water Policy Office.

Manhole-related accidents during summer downpours have become a recurring hazard. In 2022, a woman in her 50s and her younger brother in his 40s died after falling into an open manhole during heavy rains near Gangnam Station in Seoul. In 2020, a middle school student in Busan's Haeundae District fell into an open manhole but was able to climb out safely.

During monsoon season and typhoons, open or missing manhole covers become common, prompting regular emergency responses from local authorities.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE EUN-JI [[email protected]]