"I Didn't Know It Was Illegal"... Door Stoppers Installed Helplessly During Fires

Mutagong Door Stopper 'Popular'
Subject to Fine if Caught

Recently, the fire door played a significant role in preventing the spread of damage in the ‘Yatap-dong fire incident.’ However, concerns have been raised that apartment entrance doors, which serve as fire compartments, are vulnerable to fire due to the increasing installation of door stoppers.

Magnetic door stopper installed arbitrarily. Provided by reader

According to a keyword search volume analysis site on the 8th, the monthly search volume on the Naver portal site for ‘non-drilling door stopper’ was 4,050, and for ‘magnetic door stopper’ it was 2,060. Although installing door stoppers is illegal, public interest is very high. A housewife, Ms. Han (55), said, “The house I moved into didn’t have door stoppers installed, so it was very inconvenient for a while. I installed one because I needed it when moving my belongings.” Office worker Mr. Lee (30) also said, “Having a door stopper is definitely convenient, so I ordered one online and installed it. I didn’t know it was illegal.” A manager at an interior design company in Nowon-gu, Seoul, said, “We receive quite a few inquiries asking to install door stoppers on apartment entrance doors. These days, many people buy products on the market and install them themselves.”

Installing fixed door stoppers is illegal. According to the Firefighting Facilities Installation and Management Act, doors leading from the interior to stairwells or fire doors used as fire compartments must always remain closed or be designed to close automatically in case of fire. If someone closes, damages, or alters fire compartments or fire facilities, fines are imposed depending on the number of violations: 1st violation 1,000,000 KRW, 2nd violation 2,000,000 KRW, and 3rd violation 3,000,000 KRW.

Professor Baek Seung-ju of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Open Cyber University pointed out, “In the recent Bundang fire in Seongnam City, if the fire doors had not been closed, there could have been massive casualties. Fire doors prevent the spread of heat and smoke during a fire, so places designated as fire zones, such as stairwell entrances or apartment entrance doors, should not have wedges or door stoppers installed to fix the doors open.” He added, “Many people install them for everyday convenience, but they must understand that they are fully responsible for any damage caused by fire.”