[2024 National Audit] Unmanned Stores Vulnerable to Fires... Majority Lack Fire Extinguishers

Assemblyman Idalhee "Need for Improvement in Digestion Facility System"

As unmanned stores have been rapidly increasing recently, it has been revealed that many of them are left defenseless in case of fire because they are excluded from the requirement to install fire extinguishing equipment.

Lee Dal-hee, member of the People Power Party.

According to the office of Lee Dal-hee, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the People Power Party, the number of fires in unmanned stores was 12 before 2020, but it doubled to a total of 23 from 2020 to last year.

Under the current Firefighting Facilities Installation and Management Act, stores with a total floor area of less than 33㎡ (about 10 pyeong) are not required to install fire extinguishers. While entertainment establishments such as pubs, movie theaters, video rooms, and game service businesses, which are subject to the Multi-use Facilities Act, must install fire extinguishers and simple sprinklers, unmanned photo studios, unmanned laundromats, and unmanned ice cream shops are not included.

Rep. Lee said, “Among 10 unmanned stores directly visited by the office, 7 had neither sprinklers installed nor even a single fire extinguisher,” and added, “It is necessary to improve the system so that at least minimal fire extinguishing equipment is provided.”