25.04.13.Today News : Successive Sinkholes Reported in Busan and Seoul / Baek Jong-won’s The Born Korea Faces Another Hygiene Controversy

1. Successive Sinkholes Reported in Busan and Seoul

Another large sinkhole has formed near an urban rail construction site in Sasang District, Busan. Following a recent sinkhole accident that claimed a citizen’s life in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong District, Seoul, yet another road collapse occurred on the morning of April 13 in front of Aeogae Station in Mapo District, pointing to a series of ground subsidence incidents across the country.

According to Sasang District officials, around 5:40 a.m. that day, a large sinkhole measuring 5 meters wide and 3 meters long suddenly appeared on a road in Hakjang-dong.

About 40 minutes prior to the incident, police received a report warning that “a sinkhole might form,” prompting Sasang District staff to rush to the site to enforce emergency safety measures including road closures and barrier installations.

A district official stated, “We arrived at the site with the police within 15 minutes and were already blocking four lanes when the sinkhole actually occurred, leading to immediate follow-up action.”

The sinkhole emerged near the ongoing construction of the Sasang–Hadan Line of the urban railway.

The railway spans 6.9 kilometers from Sasang Station to Hadan Station with seven stops and aims to open by the end of 2026.

However, this section has already experienced more than six ground subsidence accidents, including a major incident last September where two trucks fell 8 meters into a sinkhole. The city of Busan cited heavy rainfall and inadequate water-blocking construction techniques as causes in a report released in February. Yet, the reappearance of a sinkhole just two months later is heightening public concern.

At around 8:50 a.m. the same day, another sinkhole about 40 cm in diameter and 1.3 meters deep opened in front of Aeogae Station in Mapo District, Seoul, leading to the closure of four traffic lanes.

Recently, a fatal sinkhole accident also occurred in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong District, further illustrating the trend of sinkholes near urban rail and underground infrastructure construction zones.

In response, the Seoul city government has initiated ground-penetrating radar (GPR) scans of three urban rail construction sections totaling 18.5 kilometers and their surrounding roads. The city also plans to introduce ground change monitoring equipment.

Han Byung-yong, head of Seoul's Disaster and Safety Office, stated, “To prevent similar accidents, we will strengthen real-time monitoring and early warning systems.”

One-line summary :Citizens are growing increasingly concerned as sinkholes continue to appear near urban rail construction sites in Busan and Seoul.

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2. Baek Jong-won’s The Born Korea Faces Another Hygiene Controversy

Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea, has sparked controversy once again after footage from the 2023 Hongseong Barbecue Festival showed raw meat being transported and left exposed under the sun.

On April 9, a post titled “Hygiene Controversy Over Meat Transportation by The Born Korea at Hongseong Barbecue Festival” appeared on an online community, featuring a photo of barbecue meat being transported in plastic bags in a truck.

According to the poster, the daytime high temperature in Hongseong, Chungcheongnam-do at the time reached 25°C (77°F).

However, Article 4 of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act stipulates that packaged meat must be stored and distributed at temperatures of -2°C to 10°C if refrigerated, or below -18°C if frozen.

The photo shows a large quantity of raw meat exposed to direct sunlight on a truck without any cover or shade. Additionally, men who appeared to be staff were handling the meat with gloves but without wearing sanitary uniforms.

When transporting packaged meat, the law requires the use of vehicles equipped with refrigeration or freezing systems to maintain the designated temperatures. Using vehicles without such equipment may constitute a violation of Article 4 and could result in legal penalties.

Previously, the same festival was embroiled in a “pesticide sprayer juice” controversy.

In a video uploaded on Baek’s YouTube channel on November 20, 2023, he suggested using a pesticide sprayer to apply sauce while grilling meat. An employee proceeded to spray sauce from a pesticide sprayer filled with apple juice onto the meat, and Baek commented, “That’s great.”

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, only food-grade equipment should be used in food preparation. Non-food-grade equipment may contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, and pesticide sprayers may pose unknown risks through their hoses and nozzles. Violations of this guideline can lead to up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won under Article 95 of the same law.

In response to the controversy, The Born Korea stated, “While there are no current legal restrictions on using sprayers, following discussions with relevant authorities, we were advised against their use and will refrain from using them in the future.”

Meanwhile, The Born Korea has been facing a series of controversies since the beginning of the year.

These include the pricing dispute over the “Baekham Gift Set” released for Lunar New Year, the use of Brazilian chicken in its meal kits, and issues over underfilled “Gamgyul Orem” beer products.

One-line summary :Baek Jong-won's The Born Korea has once again come under fire over hygiene concerns during meat transport and cooking practices.