The Seoul Metropolitan Government will conduct a comprehensive inspection of small lodging facilities, including capsule hotels, where fires could cause significant casualties. The initiative aims to assess the installation and management of firefighting equipment and prevent fires through the installation of basic fire safety equipment and tailored safety consulting.
Seoul announced the "Comprehensive Fire Safety Measures for Small Lodging Facilities" containing these plans on Friday. Densely packed lodging facilities such as capsule hotels, where single-person beds are arranged like honeycombs, pose a high fire risk due to narrow corridors and the prevalence of flammable materials. Despite this, many such facilities lack sprinklers, prompting persistent concerns over the difficulty of rapid suppression and evacuation in the event of a fire. In March, a fire broke out at a capsule hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, resulting in casualties.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, more than 90% of the 7,958 lodging facilities in the city were found to be without sprinklers. This is because 80% of all lodging facilities are small establishments under 300 square meters, which are not subject to mandatory installation under current law.
In response, Seoul has decided to carry out a full inspection of small lodging facilities. The inspection items include guest room configuration, sprinkler installation status, evacuation route conditions, the installation of portable emergency lighting, and the maintenance and management of firefighting equipment. For densely packed guest rooms such as those in capsule hotels with inadequate fire safety management, joint inspections will also be conducted with relevant agencies.
Following the comprehensive inspection, facility upgrades will also be pursued. Densely packed guest rooms, including capsule and dormitory types, will be classified as priority management targets, with recommendations for the installation of minimum firefighting equipment. For facilities where sprinkler installation is difficult, the city will provide guidance on alternative firefighting equipment such as automatic spreading fire extinguishers, spray-type fire extinguishers, detectors, and emergency lighting. The city also plans to actively inform lodging facilities of support benefits, including local tax reductions and insurance premium discounts, when they voluntarily install fire safety equipment such as sprinklers.
An integrated management system linking relevant departments from registration through operation will also be established. For new lodging facilities, the appropriateness of fire safety equipment installation and evacuation and fire prevention plans will be reviewed from the construction and use-change stages. For existing facilities, the city will support phased safety facility upgrades according to their conditions.
The reward program for reporting fire-vulnerable facilities, including lodging establishments, will be expanded from the current 7 categories to 15. The reward ceiling will also be raised to 300,000 won per month and 3 million won per year.
Fundamental legal and institutional improvements will also be pursued. Seoul has proposed to the central government an institutional reform plan that would designate densely packed lodging facilities as multi-use establishments, mandating sprinkler installation regardless of business floor area. The city also plans to push for revisions to fire safety standards to require the installation of automatic spreading fire extinguishers in small lodging facilities that lack simplified sprinklers.
"Many small lodging facilities fall into blind spots of safety management under the current system," said Kim Sung-bo, acting Seoul mayor. "We will swiftly advance the comprehensive inspection, fire safety equipment upgrades, and integrated management system to protect the golden time for citizen safety from fires."
