Fire at Korail Building Next to Seoul Station... Ticketing Disrupted Due to System Failure (Comprehensive)

2 People Evacuated Independently... Extinguished Without Casualties

At around 9:40 a.m. on the 6th, a fire of unknown cause broke out on the 3rd floor of the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) Seoul Headquarters building near Seoul Station.

According to the fire authorities, the fire spread upward through the ducts (pipes) to the upper floors, but the main flames were extinguished and the initial firefighting was completed at 11:03 a.m., about 1 hour and 20 minutes after the fire started. There were no casualties. Two people evacuated on their own.

On the morning of the 6th, fire trucks lined up around the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) Seoul Headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, where a fire broke out in the underground computer room.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The fire department, which arrived at the scene around 9:45 a.m. after receiving the report, deployed 46 vehicles and 177 personnel to extinguish the fire. Due to the fire, the road from Cheongpa-ro Sukdaeipgu Station intersection to Seoul Station West intersection was temporarily fully closed but is gradually returning to normal.

The KORAIL Seoul Headquarters building is located right next to Seoul Station, which has a large flow of people. At one point, black smoke spread around Seoul Station in the heart of downtown Seoul, causing concern among citizens.

On the morning of the 6th, a fire broke out in the underground computer room of Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) in Bongnae-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, and the fire department is conducting extinguishing operations. [Image source=Yonhap News Agency·Provided by reader]

A (28), who works at a nearby cafe, said, "There was thick black smoke and a strong smell like burning wires," adding, "I am worried that safety awareness might be lacking. I think we need to be careful with the mindset that accidents can happen at any time." An Mo (45), who came out for a hospital visit with a child, said, "There was a strong burning smell and traffic was very congested," adding, "With so many incidents happening continuously, citizens’ anxiety is increasing."

The fire also caused inconvenience for train users. According to KORAIL, a computer system failure occurred, preventing normal ticket inquiry, issuance, and refund operations at station counters. However, trains are operating normally. A KORAIL official urged, "Train customers are asked to use KORAIL Talk (mobile app) instead of station counters."