Man crushed to death in Uijeongbu after heavy winds tear down sign
Published: 10 Jan. 2026, 17:22
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Police stand outside a building in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, where a sign that fell onto the pavement crushed a passing man on Jan. 10. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/10/095eee45-16ad-40e1-a12b-ebae20aab726.jpg)
Police stand outside a building in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, where a sign that fell onto the pavement crushed a passing man on Jan. 10. [YONHAP]
A man was killed on Saturday afternoon in the northern city of Uijeongbu after a large signboard was torn loose by powerful winds and crushed him as it fell to the pavement below.
The fatal accident occurred around 2:21 p.m. in the Howon-dong neighborhood while a strong wind advisory was in effect across Gyeonggi.
Police and fire authorities said the signboard, measuring roughly 15 meters (49.2 feet) wide and 2 meters high, detached from a building and collapsed onto the street.
Emergency responders arrived quickly and found the man trapped beneath the debris, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said wind conditions at the time included gusts reaching approximately 9 meters per second. The victim was not affiliated with the building nor any nearby business and was simply passing through the area when the sign fell, officials said.
Police and fire officials are investigating the precise cause of the collapse, including whether the signboard had been properly secured, and are questioning witnesses as part of the inquiry.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN YE-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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