Dongdaemun-gu to Pilot Seoul's First Smoke-Reducing Sprinkler System in Public Buildings

Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul will become the first public building operator in the city to conduct an on-site pilot of a "smoke-control sprinkler head" — a device designed not only to suppress fires but also to reduce smoke and toxic gases.

The district will participate as a pilot institution in the Seoul Metropolitan Government's 2026 Testbed Seoul demonstration project. It will provide the underground parking garage of the Dongdaemun-gu District Office — a high-traffic, enclosed space — as the test site to verify the performance and effectiveness of the smoke-control sprinkler heads.

Unlike conventional sprinklers, which simply discharge water to extinguish flames, the smoke-control sprinkler head can also draw in and reduce the smoke and toxic gases generated during a fire. The system exploits the pressure differential created inside and outside the head when water is rapidly discharged, using that suction to pull in surrounding smoke and toxic gases.

A key advantage is that only the heads need to be replaced while the existing piping remains intact, making the technology easy to apply in public buildings without large-scale construction work.

The pilot will cover approximately 1,800 units in total. About 1,200 will be installed first in the first and second below-ground floors of the Dongdaemun-gu District Office parking garage, with the remaining roughly 600 to be placed at additional sites selected through on-site surveys.

The project budget will be covered by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the lead research and development institution, meaning Dongdaemun-gu will not draw on its own funds. The outcome reflects the district's active efforts to secure the project from the outset — holding multiple rounds of consultations with the lead R&D institution and presenting the case for installation and pilot benefits to the Seoul Business Agency (SBA).

Through the pilot, Dongdaemun-gu plans to comprehensively evaluate the smoke-control sprinkler's fire suppression performance, smoke and toxic gas reduction effectiveness, equipment safety, ease of maintenance, and cost efficiency, with a view to rolling out the technology in stages across public buildings in the district. For donated facilities, installation requirements will be built into the permitting process, while existing public buildings will be upgraded sequentially based on urgency and budget conditions.

"Reducing secondary harm from smoke and toxic gases during a fire is just as important as fighting the flames themselves," Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min said. "Through this pilot, we will carefully examine the effectiveness and on-site applicability of this new fire-safety technology so we can build public facilities that residents can use with greater peace of mind."