Sampoong Department Store collapse

Sampoong Department Store collapse

The department store after the collapse
Date	June 29, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-06-29)
Time	5:52 p.m. KST
Location	Seoul, South Korea
Cause	Structural overload, punching shear
Deaths	502
Non-fatal injuries	950+
Suspects	Lee Joon Lee Han-sang
Verdict	Guilty
Convictions	Criminal negligence resulting in death
Sentence	Lee Joon, 10.5 years in prison (later reduced to 7.5 years) Lee Han-sang, 7 years in prison

On June 29, 1995, the Sampoong Department Store (Korean: 삼풍백화점; Hanja: 三豐百貨店) in Seoul, South Korea, collapsed due to a structural failure. The collapse killed 502 people and injured 937, making it the largest peacetime disaster in South Korean history. It was the deadliest non-deliberate modern building collapse until the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh.^[1][2]

Construction on the store began in 1987 and was completed in 1990. The company initially contracted to build the structure withdrew after the chairman of Sampoong Group's construction division, Lee Joon, demanded changes to the concrete support columns that introduced structural concerns. Lee Joon ultimately used his own company to complete construction. Investigators blamed the collapse primarily on the column specifications which were incorrect for a flat-slab building design.

On December 27, 1995, Lee Joon was convicted of criminal negligence and sentenced to 10 years and 6 months imprisonment. His sentence was later lessened to 7 years and 6 months on appeal. His son, Lee Han-sang, was convicted of corruption and accidental homicide and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. Additionally, two city planners from the Seocho District of Seoul were convicted of taking bribes.^[3]: 112