With 260,000 visitors, including overseas fans, expected ahead of BTS's Seoul concert, a fire broke out at a capsule-style lodging facility in downtown Seoul, injuring foreign tourists. Critics note that although these facilities are vulnerable to fires due to narrow corridors and two-tier capsule layouts, they are classified as general lodging facilities and are thus subject to relatively lax fire regulations.
◇ Heavy use of electronic devices and dense crowds... safety vulnerabilities
According to fire authorities on the 16th, at about 6:10 p.m. on the 14th, a fire broke out at a capsule hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, injuring 10 people including guests. Among them, a Japanese woman in her 50s was reported to be unconscious.
A capsule-style lodging facility is structured like a honeycomb, stacking beds where one person can lie down. With nightly rates around 30,000–50,000 won, it is relatively affordable and attracts many foreign tourists such as backpackers. Such facilities have been opening one after another in downtown Seoul, absorbing foreign lodging demand.
The problem is that the structure itself is vulnerable to fire. Narrow corridors relative to capacity are typical. In the hotel that caught fire, the maximum capacity is 66 people, but the corridor width is known to be about 1 meter. In similar gosiwon-style facilities, regulations require corridor widths of at least 1.2 meters.
The abundance of combustible materials is also a risk factor. With wooden furniture, bedding, and quilts densely packed, smoke can spread quickly in a fire, making it difficult to secure visibility.
In addition, ▲ heavy use of electronic devices such as phone chargers ▲ a two-tier capsule layout that requires upper-level guests to descend using a ladder ▲ the absence of fire alarms or delayed awareness of a fire when blackout curtains are used are also cited as risk factors.
◇ Capsule hotels under intensive inspections... "Safety standards must be strengthened"
Another problem is that capsule-style lodging facilities are often registered as general lodging facilities, making fire equipment standards relatively lax. The hotel that caught fire this time was also reported to have no sprinklers installed.
Since 2022, installing sprinklers has been mandatory in lodging facilities of 600 square meters (about 181.5 pyeong) or more regardless of the number of floors, but the rule is not applied retroactively to buildings constructed before the law took effect. A survey of 10 capsule hotels in Seoul found that two of them have been operating since before the law was revised.
Experts say separate safety standards that reflect the unique characteristics of capsule-style lodging are needed. Jung Tae-heon, a professor in the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Gyeongbuk Provincial College, said, "If this fire had started near the entrance, it could have led to greater casualties," and noted, "As with gosiwon or postpartum care centers, standards should be strengthened for capsule hotels by mandating the installation of sprinklers and fire detectors."
With an influx of foreign tourists expected ahead of BTS's concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, the use of capsule-style lodging facilities is also expected to increase.
In response, the National Fire Agency will conduct a four-day emergency safety inspection from today through the 19th on 5,481 major lodging facilities in Seoul. In particular, inspections of 45 capsule-style lodging facilities are scheduled to be completed today.