http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/analysis/compare/sampoong.html The Sampoong Department Store Collapse Collapse of Faultily Constructed Department Store in Korea Killed Over 500 Post-collapse photograph of the Sampoong Department Store On June 29, 1995 a mall in Seoul, South Korea collapsed with an estimated 1,5000 people inside. In less than 20 seconds, a section of the five-story building came crashing down into the basement, killing over 500 people. 1 The collapse of the building, which was constructed using steel-reinforced concrete pillars, was blamed on faulty construction. 2 The building had a number of structural modifications during its lifetime which contributed to the collapse. It was originally designed as an office building with four floors, and constructed in 1987. When it was later converted to a department store, support columns were cut away to accommodate escalators. The owner, Lee Joon, carried out these modifications over the objectio