[Exclusive] Yeongdeungpo Gosiwon That Took Two Lives in Fire Was an 'Illegal Commercial Residential Facility'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] It has been confirmed that the goshiwon in Yeongdeungpo-gu, where a fire occurred on the morning of the 11th resulting in two deaths, was operating illegally.

According to our investigation, the goshiwon is classified as a Type 2 Neighborhood Living Facility under the Building Act. However, in the building register, the goshiwon is registered as a Type 1 Neighborhood Living Facility. The total floor area of the goshiwon is 270.41m², which does not meet the criteria for lodging goshiwon registration (floor area exceeding 500m²). The district office in charge also became aware of this fact through our inquiry. A district office official stated, "We are reviewing the timing of the business type change and the building modifications." Type 2 Neighborhood Living Facilities incur higher acquisition taxes compared to Type 1. According to the building register, in December 2011, the 270.41m² store on the second floor was divided into 210.41m² as Type 1 Neighborhood Living Facility and 60m² as Type 2 Neighborhood Living Facility.

The victims of the fire that occurred around 6:30 a.m. that day were found in the hallway inside the goshiwon. One person was transported to the hospital with second-degree burns but died, and another person with full-body burns also failed to regain consciousness despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the hospital. Fortunately, 17 others evacuated on their own, and no additional casualties were reported. The fire department issued a Level 1 response about 10 minutes after the fire broke out, at around 6:40 a.m., deploying 42 firefighting vehicles and 145 personnel. By 7:15 a.m., 40 minutes after the fire started, the major flames were extinguished, and firefighting efforts began. A fire official said, "We are investigating the cause of the fire and the extent of property damage," adding, "We are considering the possibility of arson and conducting a thorough investigation into the exact cause of the fire."

Previously, on November 9, 2018, around 5 a.m., a fire broke out at Gukil Goshiwon in Jongno-gu, killing seven residents and injuring eleven. At that time, the goshiwon did not have sprinklers, and the goshiwon manager had not properly received mandatory fire safety training. It was also found that the fire alarm had malfunctioned multiple times, but no significant measures were taken. Following this incident, according to a Seoul city ordinance to be enforced from July, the area of each individual room in a goshiwon must be at least 7㎡ (9㎡ including the bathroom), and each room must have a window installed. The window must be of a certain size and face the outside to allow escape in case of fire or similar emergencies.