CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1(Purpose) #
The purpose of this Act is to prevent harm due to ground subsidence and to ensure public safety by establishing a safety management system to develop and use underground in a safe manner.
Article 2(Definitions) #
The terms used in this Act are defined as follows: <Amended on Jul. 27, 2021>
1. The term "underground" means the regions beneath the surface of the earth intended for development, use, and management;
2. The term "ground subsidence" means a phenomenon where the surrounding ground subsides during underground development or the use and management of an underground structure;
3. The term "underground development" means an act, such as excavation, land reclamation, or water pumping, that transforms the shape of the ground;
4. The term "underground structure" means a structure built to develop and use underground, which is prescribed by Presidential Decree, such as water supply systems, sewage systems, electric power systems, telecommunications systems, gas supply systems, utility tunnels, underground motorways, and subways;
5. The term "underground safety assessment" means the formulation of a plan to prevent or reduce ground subsidence by examining, forecasting, and assessing the impact of a project that has a bearing on underground safety on underground safety in advance when a government agency grants permission, authorization, approval or a license to, makes a decision on, or accepts an action plan, implementation plan, etc. of the relevant project (hereinafter referred to as "approval, etc.");
6. The term "small-scale underground safety assessment" means underground safety assessment conducted of a small-scale project that does not fall under projects subject to underground safety assessment;
7. The term "underground developer" means a person who executes a project subject to underground safety assessment or small-scale underground safety assessment in order to develop, use, and manage underground in a safe manner;
8. The term "underground structure manager" means a person prescribed as the manager of an underground structure pursuant to the relevant statutes or the owner of the relevant underground structure; in such cases, a person who is held responsible for managing the underground structure in accordance with a management contract, etc. with the owner of the relevant underground structure shall be deemed an underground structure manager;