Yangcheon-gu Activates Emergency Childcare Immediately After Sinmok Elementary Fire — Minimizing Care Gap

"We will ease parents' anxiety by providing thorough childcare until school operations return to normal."

Lee Gi-jae, the Yangcheon-gu district chief, said Thursday that the district immediately activated an emergency childcare operation to minimize gaps in care for elementary school students after Sinmok Elementary School declared a temporary closure and short-term break following a fire on the building's first below-ground floor.

The fire broke out at around 7:30 a.m. on June 30 in a transformer inside the substation on the first below-ground floor of Sinmok Elementary School, caused by an electrical fault. It was extinguished within an hour and a half with no casualties, but the transformer and electrical equipment were damaged, cutting off power to the school. Facility restoration work is currently underway, and with the transformer replacement and related repairs expected to take about 14 days, the school decided to hold a short-term break from July 1 through July 14.

In response, the district moved to support emergency childcare to minimize disruption for students — particularly those from dual-income households — who urgently need supervision. The program prioritizes first- and second-grade students at Sinmok Elementary who require emergency care, with capacity for up to 84 children. Students already enrolled in regular care programs, as well as third- through sixth-graders with urgent care needs, are also eligible.

Emergency childcare will be distributed across three centers near the elementary school: Yangcheon Branch No. 6 Woori Neighborhood Kium Center (Sinjeong 1-dong), Yangcheon Branch No. 8 Woori Neighborhood Kium Center (Sinjeong 7-dong), and Yangcheon Hub-type Kium Center (Mok 5-dong).

Each Kium Center will extend its operating hours to meet childcare demand and plans to run a range of programs — including reading, play and hands-on activities — with children's safety as the top priority. Depending on circumstances, the centers will also provide meals and snacks, and arrange handoffs to guardians at pickup.

The district said it will work closely with the district education office and the school to share ongoing updates on the restoration progress, and will continue providing the necessary support to minimize inconvenience for students and parents until school operations are fully restored.

"We quickly activated the emergency childcare system to ease the worries of students and parents who have been inconvenienced by this sudden fire," Lee said. "We will spare no effort in working closely with the district education office and other relevant agencies to help normalize school operations as soon as possible."