Coex fire extinguished in 35 minutes after quick response from authorities

A fire broke out at Coex, a major shopping and exhibition complex in Gangnam District in southern Seoul, on Friday morning, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of visitors and workers.

Smoke billows out of Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, as a fire broke out on April 25. [NEWS1]

A fire broke out at Coex, a major shopping and exhibition complex in Gangnam District in southern Seoul, on Friday morning, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of visitors and workers, but no injuries were reported, and the blaze was extinguished within 35 minutes.

The fire started around 11 a.m. at a restaurant on the second floor, according to the Gangnam Fire Station. Fire authorities dispatched 33 fire trucks and 121 personnel to the scene, containing the flames by 11:42 a.m.

“The fire appears to have started in the restaurant kitchen hood,” a fire official said.

Thick black smoke billowed from the building, blanketing the area around Starfield Coex Mall and causing chaos as patrons and employees evacuated. Videos posted to social media platform X showed smoke rising from the second floor and spreading toward Yeongdong-daero.

“I was attending an IT expo at Coex when smoke started to spread all the way to the Starfield Library,” said Kim Jong-mok, 25, a witness. “Staff instructed us to evacuate, so I left the building.”

Visitors and tourists are seen outside of Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul after they evacuated the convention center following a fire that broke out on April 25. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

“We smelled something burning while in a third-floor meeting room,” said a witness surnamed Yoo, 31, who was at Coex for a business meeting. “We evacuated slowly using the stairs along with the crowd.”

Another witness surnamed Lee, 63, described the scene as a “blue sky suddenly covered in black smoke.”

Access to the building was restricted immediately after the fire, forcing some tourists to wait outside until the situation was under control. Some onlookers wore masks while watching firefighters work.

The gates to Coex are barred and entrance restricted after a a fire that broke out at the convention center in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on April 25. [LEE SU-MIN]

Kim Se-eun, 13, who was visiting the Coex Aquarium on a school trip, said, “We went back in after the fire was put out, but some escalators weren’t working,” adding, “I got lost for a while.”

As of 2 p.m., Coex authorities reopened all floors except for a restricted section on the second floor where the fire occurred. Cleanup and ventilation efforts were ongoing.

The World IT Show 2025, which had been temporarily suspended, resumed operations later in the day.

“A siren was activated and an announcement instructed people to evacuate,” a Coex official said. “The exact cause of the fire is still being investigated.”

Fire authorities said they will question building management about the cause and initial response once the scene is cleared.

Cleaners and authorities inspect the interior of Coex after a a fire that broke out at the convention center in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on April 25. [LEE SU-MIN]

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY LEE SU-MIN, KIM CHANG-YONG [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]