BTS concert prompts Seoul lodging inspections after capsule hotel fire
Iain Hoey
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BTS concert drives Seoul lodging inspections
A fire at a capsule hotel in central Seoul that injured 10 foreign tourists has led authorities to launch emergency safety inspections at 5,481 lodging facilities ahead of a major BTS concert on Saturday.
Korea JoonAng Daily reported that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Fire Agency said Monday they will carry out inspections for four days from Monday to Thursday.
Authorities will focus on lodging facilities in the Jongno and Jung districts, where large numbers of visitors are expected for BTS’s open-air performance at Gwanghwamun Square.
Officials will also conduct sample inspections at accommodations considered to have higher fire risks, including capsule hotels.
Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung said: “We expect a sharp increase in domestic and foreign visitors coming to Seoul ahead of a large K-pop concert.
“We will swiftly carry out emergency safety inspections to create an environment where people can stay with peace of mind.”
Fire injures 10 foreign nationals
The inspections follow a fire that broke out last Saturday at a capsule hotel in Sogong-dong in Jung District, according to Korea JoonAng Daily.
The fire injured 10 foreign nationals, with three seriously hurt.
A Japanese woman in her 50s remained unconscious as of Sunday.
Authorities said she is the family member of another Japanese woman in her 20s who was taken to hospital while conscious.
Seven others sustained minor injuries and were moved to temporary accommodations after receiving treatment.
Sprinkler rules and capsule hotel layout
Korea JoonAng Daily reported that a joint investigation by police and fire authorities found the building did not have sprinkler systems installed.
Korea has required sprinkler systems on every floor of any building with six or more stories since 2018.
The capsule hotel was built before the regulation took effect and its total floor area did not meet the 600-square meter (6,500-square foot ) threshold for the requirement.
The building also did not fall under the Special Act on the Safety Control of Publicly Used Establishments, which requires simple sprinkler systems in lodging-type multiuse facilities such as gosiwon that were built before 2009 and permitted as general lodging facilities.
The hotel is located near Myeongdong and charges between 30,000 and 50,000 won ($20 to $33) per night, with about 82 percent of reviews on online travel platforms written in foreign languages.
Capsule hotels place small sleeping compartments about the size of a single bed in a honeycomb-like structure across two levels instead of traditional rooms.
One reviewer noted that the narrow rooms left little space for luggage and corridors often became crowded.
Officials identified five more capsule hotels within a 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) radius of the fire site.