Home > National > Social Affairs

Fatal Gwangmyeong apartment blaze raises questions about residential fire code

Published: 18 Jul. 2025, 13:59

Firefighters and other officials conduct a joint investigation on July 18 at the scene of a fire that occurred in an apartment parking lot in Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, on July 17. [KIM JEONG-JAE]

Three people critically injured in a devastating apartment fire in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, on Thursday night have died, pushing authorities to launch a full-scale investigation into the blaze that left 65 casualties and raised fresh alarms over Korea’s building safety regulations.

The fire erupted around 9:05 p.m. in the parking lot on the ground floor of a 10-story residential building in Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong, police and emergency officials said Friday. Two women and one man in their 60s were pulled from the scene in cardiac arrest and later died at a local hospital.

In total, the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters reported three dead, 20 seriously injured and 42 with minor injuries. Victims were taken to 19 hospitals across the area. The wounded were transported to 19 different hospitals in the area for treatment.

The apartment, completed in July 2014, houses 116 residents across 45 units and is built with a piloti structure — an architectural design that leaves the ground level open for parking, supported only by columns, with housing units beginning on the second floor. Officials believe this design played a critical role in the rapid spread of the fire, which intensified as it reached 25 parked vehicles, engulfing the lot and complicating evacuations.

Firefighters battled the blaze for roughly an hour and 20 minutes. At one point, 23 residents trapped inside fled to the roof and were later rescued.

On Friday morning, police and fire officials, together with the National Forensic Service, conducted a joint forensic inspection to determine the ignition point and cause of the fire. CCTV footage shows flames bursting from a specific section of the parking lot ceiling, matching the account of the first witness on scene. Investigators are examining multiple potential causes, including electrical issues, and are probing whether fire safety systems like sprinklers and alarms were present — and if they functioned.

Firefighters and other officials conduct a joint investigation on July 18 at the scene of a fire that occurred in an apartment parking lot in Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, on July 17. [NEWS1]

Under current Korean fire safety laws, the building was not required to have sprinklers installed. While sprinklers have been required in post-1990 builds, more stringent rules apply only to buildings over six floors from 2018 onward, over 11 floors from 2005 and over 16 floors prior to that.

“Even when fire safety laws are updated, existing buildings are often exempt, which causes problems,” said Hwang Cheol-hong, a professor of fire safety at Daejeon University. “Piloti structures are particularly vulnerable to fires, as flames quickly rise through the ceiling. Fire safety measures even as basic as sprinkler systems are urgently needed.”

As authorities piece together the cause of the deadly blaze, the tragedy is renewing debate over whether Korea’s fire safety laws have kept pace with the vulnerabilities of its modern housing stock.

A firefighter conducts an investigation on July 18 at the scene of a fire that occurred in an apartment parking lot in Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi on July 17. [YONHAP]

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI MO-RAN, KIM JEONG-JAE [[email protected]]