The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport visited Daejeon Shinsegae in Yuseong District, Daejeon, on the afternoon of the 18th and carried out an on-site inspection of high-rise buildings for fire safety preparedness.
This on-site inspection follows the government's fire safety measures to prevent fires in high-rise buildings in Korea, prompted by the high-rise apartment fire in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on the 26th of last month.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) conducted an emergency inspection of 223 high-rise buildings nationwide from the 1st to the 12th of this month. From the 15th of this month through June next year, it will conduct a full inspection of 6,280 high-rise buildings nationwide.
About 20 people took part in the on-site inspection, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Daejeon Metropolitan City, Yuseong Fire Station, and managers of Daejeon Shinsegae. They broadly inspected architecture and firefighting facilities and equipment such as refuge safety zones, descending evacuation exits, and the central disaster control room.
Lee Sang-ju, head of the Land and Urban Affairs Office at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), said, "In recent days, major casualties from fire accidents have occurred one after another at home and abroad, and public safety is more important than anything else, so thorough inspections and management are necessary," and added, "In winter, fires can occur not only in high-rise buildings but in all buildings; to minimize damage to people's lives and property, we ask local governments and fire stations with jurisdiction to carry out thorough inspections and management."