Over 30 Years of Redevelopment Project Stalled
Frequent Fires Spark 'Arson Targeting Redevelopment' Conspiracy Theory
"Residents Have Always Worked Hard to Prevent Fires"
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] On the 20th, a large fire broke out in Guryong Village, known as the last shantytown in Gangnam, Seoul, forcing about 500 residents to evacuate urgently. Due to the nature of the shantytown, where old houses made of vinyl, plywood, and Styrofoam are tightly packed together, it is vulnerable to fires. Frequent fires have even led to conspiracy theories that some people deliberately set fires to push for redevelopment.
At around 6:27 a.m. on the day, a large fire occurred at a house in Section 4 of Guryong Village, Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and the fire department is currently extinguishing the flames. The fire department issued a Level 2 response, deploying 140 personnel and 43 pieces of equipment to control the fire. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Guryong Village is an unauthorized shantytown that naturally formed when evictees displaced from their homes ahead of the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics settled there. It is located on the northern slope of Guryongsan Mountain, which is how it got its name.
Firefighters are conducting extinguishing operations in Guryong Village 4 District, Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where a fire broke out on the morning of the 20th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
In the 1990s, when private development was booming, several companies attempted to push for development, but Gangnam District Office accepted Seoul City's opinion that public development was more appropriate, and Guryong Village was designated as an urban development zone in 2012. However, redevelopment has been stalled for over 30 years due to conflicts among original residents, landowners, Seoul City, and Gangnam District Office over project operation methods and land compensation.
Guryong Village is a region where fires occur particularly frequently. In March last year, a fire that started at a store in the village spread to Daemosan Mountain and was extinguished after about five hours.
Frequent fires have also fueled ominous conspiracy theories. Despite being the last prime land in Gangnam, redevelopment projects have not even broken ground for over 30 years, leading to speculation that residents and landowners who want redevelopment might have deliberately set fires.
There have been precedents where large fires accelerated redevelopment discussions. From 2009 to 2014, when Seoul City and Gangnam District Office were at odds over land compensation, 12 fires of various sizes occurred in Guryong Village. Especially after a resident died in a fire in November 2014, calls to push redevelopment for safety reasons gained momentum. Due to conflicts over project methods, Guryong Village, which had been removed from the urban development zone in August of the same year, was re-designated as an urban development zone.
On the morning of the 20th, fire trucks are having difficulty accessing District 4 of Guryong Village in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where a fire broke out. [Image source=Yonhap News]
However, these conspiracy theories appear to be unfounded based on circumstances. The cause of the most recent fire in March last year was a mistake by a resident in their 70s who was warming bread on a gas stove, and the fire in March 2017 was caused by a resident accidentally pressing the ignition button while cleaning a butane gas heater.
Guryong Village is vulnerable to fires because old houses made of flammable materials such as vinyl and plywood are densely packed in narrow spaces, and once a fire breaks out, it can cause significant damage. Lee Un-cheol, vice chairman of the Guryong Village Residents' Autonomous Association, told YTN in an interview that "(due to electrical leakage) the wires are rewired every year, so the electric wires are inside the walls. Therefore, electrical leakage accidents occur most frequently here."
Use of electric heating devices is also one of the causes of fires. Due to the nature of the shantytown houses, heating is difficult and cold air frequently enters, so many households use electric heating products, which can easily lead to fires.
The fire department has designated Guryong Village as a fire caution zone since April 2002 and has regularly conducted fire drills to check the response system. Residents also pay close attention to fire prevention. Vice Chairman Lee said, "Residents are very careful about fire safety. We emphasize fire safety every day because we are always worried," adding, "We have an emergency contact network, and we frequently check on those who have difficulty moving or elderly residents."
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