Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Ilhyung Lee Conducts Fire Safety Inspections at Dongseoul Hanyang and Dongdap Hanshin Apartments

Safety Inspections to Prevent Fires in Aged Apartment Complexes Over 20 Years Old Scheduled for Sequential Implementation Within the Year

Dongdaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) conducted a joint fire safety inspection of aging apartment complexes over 20 years old with the Dongdaemun Fire Station on the 7th.

On this day, the inspection targeted two locations: Dongseoul Hanyang Apartment, completed in July 1989, and Dongdap Hanshin Apartment, completed in January 1992. Both apartments lack sprinkler systems, classifying them as fire-vulnerable aging apartment complexes that could lead to large-scale fires in case of an incident.

With recent fires occurring in places such as Banghak-dong, Dobong-gu, and continuous fires in apartment complexes, the district plans to actively prevent fires by visiting a total of 51 aging apartment complexes within the year to assess and inspect the management status of fire safety facilities for a "Safe Dongdaemun-gu, Safe Apartments."

During the inspection, various areas were checked to ensure residents' safety, including ▲operation of fire alarm control panels ▲inspection of emergency broadcasting equipment ▲confirmation of emergency exit guide lights ▲inspection of fire doors (individual unit fire doors, stairwell and elevator fire doors, rooftop access doors, etc.) ▲checking for obstacles on evacuation stairs ▲inspection of indoor fire hydrants.

Minor issues were immediately corrected on-site, while facilities requiring budget and urgent repairs were evaluated for urgency and appropriateness to be repaired or reinforced using the Disaster Safety Management Fund. Continuous inspections will be conducted to ensure no negligence in safety management.

Since most casualties occur during evacuation in apartment fires, proper evacuation methods (closing doors while evacuating, checking surroundings while evacuating) were promoted, and residents were provided with self-inspection checklists for each household to encourage voluntary inspection of fire safety facilities within their units.

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, “Since fires in apartment complexes cause significant casualties and property damage, the district will focus on fire prevention with the mindset of ‘Safety first, safety second’ to prevent any tragic incidents caused by fire.” He added, “We will continue to create a safe and livable environment for residents through detailed and thorough on-site inspections.”