HDC, victims’ families agree on compensation over Gwangju accident

Bereaved families of six victims discovered dead at HDC Hyundai Development Co.’s construction site in Gwangju last month said they had reached an agreement with the firm Tuesday.

Although the families did not disclose the exact amount of the compensation, they said they had to “give in a lot” in terms of the amount. 

The agreement comes two weeks after the last victim was discovered at the construction site, almost a month after the facade and concrete floors of the 39-story multiplex apartment under construction fell down on Jan. 11. The exact cause behind the accident is still under investigation. 

Funerals for five victims will be held Friday. 

The bereaved families said they also formed a special council to supervise and oversee safety at HDC’s Gwangju construction site to prevent another safety accident from happening. 

“What we asked for HDC was not just compensation, but to make sure that no one dies from their construction sites in the future,” said Ahn Jung-ho, who represents the victims’ families. He also urged politicians’ continued interest and efforts to stop such accidents in the future.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)