Travel
Over half of Busan hotels lack sprinklers
haps magazine korea
August 28, 2024
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Following the tragic fire at a hotel in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, that claimed seven lives and injured twelve, the spotlight has turned to the adequacy of fire safety measures in South Korea’s accommodation facilities, particularly the installation of sprinklers.
Despite ongoing efforts to strengthen fire safety regulations, older buildings remain particularly vulnerable due to the non-retroactive application of these laws.
In Busan, this issue is especially pressing, as more than half of the hotels in the city lack sprinkler systems.
On the 25th of August, the National Fire Agency reported that over the past five years, there have been 1,843 fires at accommodation facilities nationwide.
Hotels, motels, and pensions have all been affected, with motels accounting for the highest number of incidents.
Specifically, 14.8% of these fires occurred in hotels, resulting in numerous injuries, including 32 deaths.
In Busan alone, there were 142 fires at accommodation facilities during this period, leading to 35 injuries, including three fatalities. Busan’s hotel fires accounted for a higher proportion of these incidents compared to the national average.
Data from the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters reveals that out of 193 registered hotels in the city, 102, or 52.8%, do not have sprinkler systems installed.
This deficiency raises significant concerns, as sprinklers are essential in extinguishing fires during their early stages, potentially saving lives and reducing property damage.
The Bucheon hotel where the recent fire occurred also lacked sprinklers, a factor that has been cited as contributing to the high number of fatalities.
The root of the problem lies in the current fire safety regulations, which, despite being progressively strengthened, are not applied retroactively.
For example, regulations mandating sprinkler installation in accommodations with 11 or more floors were introduced in 1981 and expanded in 2005.
More recently, a 2018 revision required sprinklers in all buildings with six or more floors, and as of December 2022, all accommodation facilities are required to have sprinklers, regardless of the number of floors.
However, these rules do not apply to buildings constructed before the respective laws were enacted, leaving many older hotels in Busan and elsewhere in a legal blind spot.
As Busan continues to attract visitors from around the world, the need for improved fire safety measures in its hotels has never been more critical.
In response to the growing concern, lawmaker Koh Dong-jin of the People Power Party has proposed a legislative amendment to mandate the installation of firefighting equipment, including sprinklers, in all accommodation facilities, regardless of their age.