Hong Kong Fire Prompts Enhanced Fire Safety Management
Emergency Fire Safety Inspections at Construction Sites with 30 or More Floors
Joint Response System and Training for Disaster Control Rooms
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced that it will conduct fire safety inspections at 36 construction sites of buildings with 30 or more floors and appoint responsible officers for each site. This is an emergency measure to strengthen fire safety management for high-rise buildings, prompted by the recent fire at a high-rise apartment in Hong Kong. In particular, a new joint response system for disaster control rooms in high-rise buildings will be established.
According to the Fire and Disaster Headquarters on October 30, 2025, there are a total of 949 high-rise buildings in Seoul. High-rise buildings are defined as those with 30 or more floors or a height of at least 120 meters, and among these, there are 32 super high-rise buildings with 50 or more floors or a height of at least 200 meters.
Accordingly, the city will implement the 'Emergency Measures to Strengthen Fire Safety Management for High-Rise Buildings with 30 or More Floors.' First, an urgent fire safety inspection will be conducted at all 36 construction sites of high-rise buildings with 30 or more floors. The focus will be on inspecting temporary fire facility installation and management, handling of combustible materials, and other fire safety management items at construction sites.
Additionally, a manager-level firefighter will be designated at every site to conduct on-site fire safety inspections at least once a month and to provide guidance on key management items according to construction progress. Furthermore, a 'Fire Prevention Safety Management Letter' will be sent to all high-rise buildings with 30 or more floors (949 buildings in total) to request the attention and thorough safety management of those responsible.
Fire safety management will also be strengthened throughout the entire process of 'design-construction-completion-occupancy' for high-rise buildings. At the design stage, the 'Seoul Metropolitan Government Performance-Based Design Guidelines' will be strictly applied to ensure fire safety. For construction sites and existing buildings, the city plans to further reinforce the fire safety network through strict law enforcement and the establishment of response systems. 'Performance-based design' refers to evaluating the fire risk of high-rise buildings subject to legal requirements and designing them to ensure fire safety performance based on the results. The main review items include the adequacy of evacuation safety zones, redundancy of fire protection piping, application of elevated water tank systems, and securing fire truck access routes, all of which are essential fire safety features for high-rise buildings.
For high-rise buildings under construction that have reached 80% or more completion, on-site inspections will be conducted for all such sites. In particular, for those subject to 'performance-based design,' a joint public-private inspection will be carried out to thoroughly verify that construction is proceeding according to the finalized design.
For high-rise buildings that have been completed and are in use, fire safety inspections will be conducted to check whether fire safety management is being properly implemented and whether fire protection and evacuation facilities are being adequately maintained.
This is also why a new joint public-private response system for high-rise building fire emergencies will be established. For all super high-rise buildings with 50 or more floors, joint public-private drills will be conducted twice a year to provide practical training on the use of evacuation safety zones, fire door management, and initial response procedures. In addition, to ensure a swift response in the event of a fire, joint duty assignments between firefighters and disaster control rooms in all high-rise buildings will be carried out twice a year. By establishing a joint duty system with disaster control rooms in high-rise buildings, the city aims to enhance information sharing and initial response capabilities.
In addition, for older apartment buildings without sprinkler systems, separate fire safety measures will be implemented. Fire evacuation drills involving residents will be conducted to educate them on proper evacuation methods, such as 'close the door and evacuate' and 'look before you evacuate,' as well as the importance of fire door management. Hong Younggeun, Chief of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, "High-rise buildings pose a risk of large-scale casualties in the event of a fire, so not only safety managers but also all residents must pay close attention. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will prioritize citizen safety by building a dense, field-oriented fire safety network."
Meanwhile, as part of this year's 'Fire Safety Measures for Old Apartments,' the Seoul Metropolitan Government distributed stand-alone smoke detectors to 801 households. In addition, a comprehensive survey was conducted on 3,354 households in old apartments, and mobile fire safety education was provided to elementary schools adjacent to these old apartment complexes.
The scene of a high-rise building fire evacuation drill conducted at Tower Palace in 2023. Seoul City
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