Capsule hotel fire prompts gov't to launch safety inspections of accomodations ahead of BTS concert

A fire at a capsule hotel in central Seoul that injured 10 foreign tourists has led authorities to launch emergency safety inspections at thousands of lodging facilities across the capital ahead of a major BTS concert set for Saturday.

Police and fire authorities investigate a capsule hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung District, central Seoul, on March 15, where a fire injured 10 foreign nationals the previous day. [NEWS1]

A fire at a capsule hotel in central Seoul that injured 10 foreign tourists has led authorities to launch emergency safety inspections at thousands of lodging facilities across the capital ahead of a major BTS concert set for Saturday.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Fire Agency said Monday they will conduct emergency safety inspections at 5,481 lodging facilities across Seoul for four days from Monday to Thursday to identify fire hazards and strengthen safety management.

Authorities will focus on lodging facilities in the Jongno and Jung districts in central Seoul where large numbers of visitors are expected to gather for BTS’s open-air performance at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday.

Officials will also conduct sample inspections at accommodations considered to have higher fire risks, including capsule hotels.

Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung said the inspections aim to ensure visitors can stay safely.

“We expect a sharp increase in domestic and foreign visitors coming to Seoul ahead of a large K-pop concert,” Yun said. “We will swiftly carry out emergency safety inspections to create an environment where people can stay with peace of mind.”

Police and fire officials conduct a joint inspection at a capsule hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung District, central Seoul, on March 15, a day after a fire broke out there and injured 10 people. [NEWS1]

The inspections follow a fire that broke out last Saturday at a capsule hotel in Sogong-dong in Jung District.

The fire injured 10 foreign nationals, with three seriously hurt from the incident. A Japanese woman in her 50s remained unconscious as of Sunday. Authorities said she is the family member of another Japanese woman in her 20s who was taken to hospital while conscious.

Seven others sustained minor injuries and were moved to temporary accommodations after receiving treatment.

A joint investigation by police and fire authorities found the building did not have sprinkler systems installed, according to officials on Sunday.

Korea has required sprinkler systems on every floor of any building with six or more stories since 2018. But the capsule hotel was built before the regulation took effect and its total floor area did not meet the 600-square meter (6,500-square foot ) threshold for the requirement.

The building also did not fall under the Special Act on the Safety Control of Publicly Used Establishments, which requires simple sprinkler systems in lodging-type multiuse facilities such as gosiwon (low-cost, single-housing facilities) that were built before 2009 and permitted as general lodging facilities.

Police and fire officials conduct a joint inspection at a capsule hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung District, Seoul, on March 15, a day after a fire broke out there and injured 10 people. [YONHAP]

The capsule hotel is located near Myeongdong, a busy shopping area in central Seoul, and charges between 30,000 and 50,000 won ($20 to $33) per night, making it popular with budget travelers from overseas. About 82 percent of reviews posted on online travel platforms were written in foreign languages.

Capsule hotels typically place small sleeping compartments about the size of a single bed in a honeycomb-like structure across two levels instead of traditional rooms.

The hotel's cramped layout and travelers’ luggage likely made evacuation difficult, with one reviewer noting the narrow rooms left little space for luggage and corridors often became crowded.

Officials identified five more capsule hotels within a 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) radius of the fire site.

BY KIM JI-HYE, KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]