Installation completed in 585 out of 750 Gosiwon locations... Remaining 165 locations to be fully installed by June 2022
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 24th that 78% of lodging-type gosiwon in Seoul have completed the installation of simple sprinklers through the support project initiated after the fire at Jongno Gukil Gosiwon, which resulted in 18 casualties.
The Seoul Fire Department supported the installation of simple sprinklers in 585 out of a total of 750 locations over about a year and a half since August 2019. The remaining 165 locations are scheduled to complete installation by June 2022.
After the installation of simple sprinklers, the number of fires has actually decreased. According to statistics from the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, the number of gosiwon fires in 2020 (28 cases) dropped by 52.5% compared to the previous year (59 cases), falling to less than half. This year, four gosiwon fires occurred in January alone, but all were initially suppressed thanks to the simple sprinklers, preventing any casualties.
In the case of last year, the causes of fires were as follows: negligence 13 cases (46.4%), electrical factors 12 cases (42.9%), suspected arson 1 case (3.6%), and others 2 cases (7.1%). The locations of fire occurrences were inside gosiwon rooms 11 cases (39.3%), kitchens 6 cases (21.4%), common areas 3 cases (10.7%), and others 8 cases (28.6%).
Seoul City's simple sprinkler installation support project provides partial financial support for the installation costs to gosiwon business owners. It targets 750 gosiwon that received business permits before July 9, 2009, before the installation of simple sprinklers became mandatory, placing them in a legal blind spot, such as Jongno Gukil Gosiwon.
Kwon Hyuk-min, head of the Prevention Division at the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, “Since simple sprinklers have a significant effect in reducing damage during gosiwon fires, we ask for the active cooperation of gosiwon stakeholders to prevent casualties.”
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