The electric vehicle fire that broke out in an apartment underground parking lot in Cheongna, Incheon, in Aug. 2024 shocked Korean society. The government and local governments rolled out measures such as a battery certification system, the distribution of smart-control chargers, and stronger fire safety equipment in underground parking lots. But even two years after the accident, realistic safety standards for existing multifamily housing remain insufficient. In that time, EVs have surpassed 1 million and chargers are nearing 500,000. ChosunBiz marks two years since the Cheongna fire by examining on-the-ground changes and the results of government measures, as well as proven fire response technology and overseas cases, to identify the safety standards needed for multifamily housing in the EV era. [Editor's note]
On the 5th, in the underground parking lot of an apartment in Cheongna International City, Seohae District, Incheon. Next to a wall-mounted slow charger for electric vehicles were a fire extinguisher, a fire blanket, and a solid aerosol fire suppression device. The charging facilities were grouped in spaces exposed to outside air. Traces of the massive fire that occurred here two years ago were hard to find.
The blaze that started in an EV parked in the underground parking lot in Aug. 2024 spread to nearby vehicles and parking facilities. A total of 959 vehicles burned or were scorched, and 23 residents inhaled smoke. With both power and water cut off, residents had to leave their homes and live in temporary accommodations.
As the apartment repaired the underground parking lot after the fire, it rebuilt the charging zone and reinforced response equipment. Because the layout keeps vehicles off the ground level, the charging facilities remain underground. According to the Korea Real Estate Board (REB) K-apt multifamily housing management information system, the complex has 116 wall-mounted slow chargers installed.
While the parking lot has returned to normal, the issues surrounding EV fires have not been fully resolved. Unlike the Cheongna apartment that directly experienced a major accident, residents of existing apartments nationwide must decide what equipment to install, whether to relocate charging zones, and who will bear the expense. Fire safety standards for new buildings have been strengthened since the Cheongna fire, but the minimum safety standards for existing apartments remain unclear.
◇ Fire standards strengthened for new builds… 86% of multifamily housing was completed before 2020
After the Cheongna fire, the government introduced a battery certification system and a system for disclosing battery information, and expanded the distribution of smart-control chargers that can regulate state of charge. It also revised fire equipment standards to prevent early spread when a fire breaks out in an underground parking lot.
Under the fire safety performance standards that took effect on Mar. 1 this year, underground parking lots of buildings subject to the new standards must in principle install wet sprinklers. With water already in the pipes, they activate immediately when a fire occurs. In EV charging zones, early suppression fast-response sprinkler heads must be installed within a 2.1-meter protection radius to respond quickly to flames.
However, the tougher standards do not apply retroactively to already built structures. An analysis by ChosunBiz of the completion years of multifamily housing registered on K-apt shows that 18,660 complexes, or 86.1%, were completed before 2020. Most existing multifamily housing not only will not be subject to the new standards, but also faces a heavy burden to reinforce aging facilities.
It costs a lot of money to convert sprinkler piping in existing underground parking lots to wet systems or to upgrade equipment across the board. Complexes without ground-level parking also find it difficult to move charging facilities outside. Fire blankets, upward direct water supply systems, thermal imaging cameras, and solid aerosol fire suppression devices are cited as alternatives, but their effectiveness can vary depending on the installation environment and how they are used.
Some local governments subsidize 50% to 70% of the installation costs for EV fire response equipment. The support cap varies by region and complex size, ranging from several million won to 50 million won. Even with subsidies, there is still self-payment. Using long-term repair reserves requires a vote by the residents' council and resident consent, so if disagreements arise over the effectiveness of the equipment or the expense, installation can fall through.
While government measures set mandatory standards for new apartments, they stop at partially subsidizing expenses for existing apartments. There is also no unified standard for what equipment must be in place and the minimum performance that must be ensured.
◇ 1.095 million EVs… Government's deferred decisions are fueling resident conflicts
While the safety standards gap persists, the number of EVs is growing rapidly. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as of the end of June this year, the cumulative number of registered EVs in Korea was 1,095,218. EVs accounted for 23.3% of new car sales in the first half of this year, and there are about 500,000 EV chargers installed nationwide.
As registrations increased, so did fires. According to the National Fire Agency, there were 73 EV fires in the first half of this year, 74% of last year's annual total of 98. Property damage from EV fires from 2021 through the first half of this year totaled about 12.3 billion won.
In the absence of clear standards, some apartments are closing underground charging zones or moving chargers to the surface. Recently, at an apartment complex in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, a proposal to transfer EV charging facilities to the ground passed the residents' council.
However, apartments without ground-level parking have no suitable place to relocate charging facilities. A resident in her 40s, identified as A, who lives in an apartment in Yangcheon District, Seoul, said, "The underground parking lot goes down to three floors, and the charging facilities are concentrated on the lowest level," and added, "I worry about fires, so I park on B1 whenever possible."
EV owners say safety measures are turning into parking discrimination. A resident in his 40s, identified as B, who owns an EV, said, "It's not illegal to park an EV in an underground lot, but they tell us to move our cars out citing fire risk," and added, "Internal combustion cars also carry fire risks, so it's hard to accept that only EVs are being blocked."
Current multifamily housing management laws have no rule that uniformly restricts EV use of underground parking lots. Conversely, there is no clear standard to mediate the demands of residents worried about fires. By leaving judgments to each complex without setting principles for safety equipment and expense sharing in existing apartments, the government has allowed the EV fire safety issue to spill over into resident parking disputes.
Seo Jin-hyeong, a professor in the Department of Real Estate Law at Kwangwoon University, said, "After suffering major damage, the Cheongna apartment rebuilt its charging zones and reinforced response equipment, but it's realistically difficult to demand the same level of action from existing apartments nationwide that have not experienced an accident," and added, "Unless the government sets out the minimum safety equipment, equipment performance, and expense sharing principles needed for existing apartments, EV fire countermeasures will inevitably continue to be left to decisions by each complex."