Blaze in Seoul's Last Shantytown: Guryong Village Faces Fire and Future

A devastating fire in Guryong Village, a shantytown in Seoul's Gangnam district, was extinguished eight hours after it erupted without causing casualties. The blaze led to the evacuation of 258 residents and involved 324 firefighters and 106 vehicles. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

A major fire broke out early Friday in Guryong Village, a shantytown in the affluent Gangnam district of Seoul. The blaze, which erupted around 5 a.m., was fully extinguished by 1.28 p.m., with no reported casualties, according to the National Fire Agency.

The fire required the evacuation of 258 residents and the deployment of 324 firefighters, alongside 106 vehicles and a helicopter. Resident Kim Ok-im expressed concerns over the recurring disasters in the area, recalling a flood that devastated the village a few years earlier.

Guryong Village, slated for redevelopment, is known for its densely packed makeshift homes, which contributed to the fire's severity. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident's cause, with Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung urging a full mobilization of resources to manage and extinguish the fire.