Pieces of cement reportedly fell from the ceiling of Newcore Department Store in Gangnam, Seocho-gu, Seoul, on Friday, injuring no one but nonetheless igniting concerns over the safety of the popular shopping complex.

According to the Seocho District Office, pieces of corroded cement fell from the ceiling of a store located on the B1 floor of the department store around 1 p.m. 

The pieces were found to be parts of cement mortar that fell from a ventilation facility room located above the store.

An official from the Seocho District Office confirmed to the local media that “the building itself does not seem to have any safety issues.”

Despite the explanation, rumors quickly spread that the Newcore Department Store is showing signs that it could collapse, and that citizens should refrain from visiting the shopping mall as well as the adjoining supermarket chain Kim’s Club.

As a result, many customers had vacated the premises of Newcore’s Gangnam branch as of late Friday afternoon, according to citizen reports provided to The Korea Herald.

In response to the incident, Newcore has set up a net near the store where the cement pieces fell, and plans to conduct a safety inspection. The building had been certified as safe as of last month, it said.

In 2015, Newcore Department Store in Gangnam had an incident in which sparks from maintenance work being done on the exterior of the building led to a fire in the building’s storage unit, leading to a mass evacuation.

Newcore Department Store in Gangnam is operated by Korea’s retail giant E-land Group, which also operates NC Department Store and 2001 Outlet chains here.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)