A recent investigative report into the retaining wall collapse incident that occurred on July 16, 2022, at the Ga-jang intersection in Osan, South Korea, revealed that comprehensive negligence across all phases—design, construction, and maintenance—contributed to the tragedy, resulting in one fatality and two vehicles being buried under debris. The circumstances of this collapse were particularly concerning given the heavy rainfall that occurred just prior to the event, as a significant amount of rainwater was unable to be effectively drained, increasing the water pressure within the wall and ultimately leading to its failure.

The Central Facility Accident Investigation Committee (CFIIC) detailed how the failure to construct adequate drainage systems and the negligent maintenance practices allowed rainwater to infiltrate and weaken the backfill material behind the retaining wall. This infiltration was compounded by structural issues such as sinking and cracking of the upper retaining wall, which further exacerbated water accumulation. The collapse was thus described as a result of multiple failures at the design stage, including inadequate risk assessment and failure to establish contingency plans for drainage under high-water conditions.

The report pointed to overarching systemic issues involving the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) and HyunDai Construction, which originally built the wall in 2011, therefore indicating that not only the design but also the construction and subsequent management by Osan City since 2017 were fundamentally flawed. This incident underscores the importance of stringent adherence to safety protocols and regulatory oversight to prevent similar accidents in the future, as the wall, completed only in September 2023, succumbed to conditions that were predictably hazardous due to poor planning and execution throughout all stages of the construction and maintenance process.