Emergency meeting held Thursday with city, fire, police and utility officials; joint inspections to cover fire, electrical and gas hazards
Three district office staff and 18 SH Corp. workers to conduct daily patrols; deposit waived and rent cut 60% to encourage residents to relocate
Gangnam-gu is strengthening its joint safety management system with relevant agencies to prevent fires and protect residents at Guryong Village in Gaepodong, where a series of fires has recently broken out.
The district office said it convened an emergency inter-agency meeting Thursday afternoon to discuss fire prevention and safety management measures for the informal settlement.
About 10 officials attended, representing the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Gangnam Fire Station, the Suseo Police Station, Korea Electric Power Corporation and SH Corp. Participants shared each agency's current safety management status and discussed measures to prevent a recurrence.
Central to the plan is a joint special safety inspection aimed at identifying fire hazards before they can cause harm. The inspection will focus on fire, electrical and gas risks, and officials agreed to explore involving a residents' volunteer fire brigade to make on-site checks more effective.
Routine patrols will also be stepped up. Three Gangnam-gu employees currently patrol Guryong Village daily, while SH Corp. has deployed 18 staff to monitor the site. Building on that existing framework, the district plans to intensify surveillance of fire-prone areas and key facilities, and to share any warning signs immediately with the relevant agencies.
Officials also agreed to improve coordination for early response when a fire breaks out. Each agency will develop measures to address illegally parked vehicles that block fire truck access, and the operational status of firefighting equipment and related installations will be checked. Emergency contact networks and on-site information will be shared across agencies to enable a rapid response in urgent situations.
The meeting also addressed the need for residents to relocate as a fundamental safety measure. Given the structural nature of Guryong Village — densely packed with unauthorized buildings — participants agreed that any fire there carries a high risk of causing large-scale damage, and that moving residents to safer housing should be accelerated.
Gangnam-gu currently offers full deposit waivers and a 60 percent rent reduction for residents who move into temporary relocation housing. The agencies agreed to jointly inform and persuade residents to take advantage of the benefits.
"Because Guryong Village is densely packed with unauthorized structures, even a small fire can cause major damage, making prevention and early response more important than anything else," Gangnam-gu District Mayor Kim Hyun-ki said. "We will strengthen joint inspections and patrols with the relevant agencies, swiftly address hazards identified on site, and leave no gaps in protecting residents' safety."
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