Watchdog recommends higher insurance payouts for sinkhole-related deaths

▲ This file photo, taken March 24, 2025, shows a sinkhole in eastern Seoul. (Yonhap)

sinkhole deaths-compensation

Watchdog recommends higher insurance payouts for sinkhole-related deaths

SEOUL, April 23 (Yonhap) -- The state civil rights watchdog has recommended revising the current citizen safety insurance system to provide higher compensation for deaths caused by sinkhole accidents, the Seoul city government said Thursday.

The city government said its ombudsman committee analyzed sinkhole accident compensation problems and proposed revisions to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC).

A survey by the ACRC found that more than 40 percent of sewer pipes nationwide are over 30 years old, indicating serious deterioration that raises sinkhole risks.

But compensation may not be provided if the citizen safety insurance subscribed to by the metropolitan governments does not include a coverage item for sinkholes.

The public liability insurance operated by the Korea Local Finance Association is structured to distribute compensation within a limit without distinction between personal injury and property damage, meaning that the compensation per person can be significantly reduced in the event of multiple casualties.

To address this issue, the ACRC recommended that compensation for deaths in sinkhole accidents be added to the citizen safety insurance.

The commission also advised the Korea Local Finance Association to establish a new special clause in the public liability insurance to enable compensation for deaths caused by sinkhole accidents and strengthen compensation for the bereaved families.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved