The Seoul metropolitan government said Thursday that it will decide whether to allow Lotte Group to open the lower part of a high-rise building late this month after conducting a final safety check.

Lotte had originally sought to open the completed lower floors of the 123-story high-rise, which is being built in the southeastern part of the capital, to the public by April. But the city government previously nixed the plan, citing safety concerns as well as possible traffic congestion.

In an effort to dispel safety concerns among some citizens, the city government is to allow a panel of citizens to inspect the safety of the building for 10 days from Saturday.

The city government is also conducting safety training and checks involving related authorities and civilian experts and plans to have an additional safety check and a press tour starting next week.

"We will ask Lotte to correct any problems that may be found in safety checks and training and will make a final decision on whether to approve the temporary use of the building within this month according to the inspection result," Jin Hee-seon, a city official in charge of the city's housing policy, told reporters.

During the additional inspection, the city authority said it plans to inspect the safety of roads around a nearby lake, monitor traffic conditions around the building and conduct emergency evacuation drills inside the high-rise.

After years of controversy, Lotte Group got the nod in 2010 to build the 555-meter-high building just across from its decades-old shopping and amusement complex. If completed as planned in 2016, it will be the tallest building in South Korea. (Yonhap)