A fire broke out at Kuryong village in Gangnam district, southern Seoul, known as the city's last shantytown. It affected 107 people from 77 households. Over 200 firefighters and six helicopters were mobilized before the fire was fully controlled after nearly 13 hours. One woman suffered minor injuries, while authorities provided temporary shelter for those impacted.
South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that the fire occurred at Kuryong village, Seoul's largest remaining shantytown, located in the Gangnam district in the southern part of the city. The blaze began at approximately 15:50 local time on Tuesday, 27 October, and was fully extinguished by 04:39 on Wednesday, 28 October, after nearly 13 hours of firefighting.
The incident affected 107 people from 77 households. One woman sustained minor leg injuries. Meanwhile, 39 residents were evacuated for safety, with authorities arranging temporary shelters at nearby schools and gymnasiums.
South Korea's National Fire Agency deployed 232 personnel along with 110 pieces of equipment and vehicles to control the fire. Six helicopters were also dispatched to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby mountains. The community's homes are densely packed and constructed from highly flammable materials such as vinyl sheets and plywood.
Kuryong village is an unlicensed settlement, known locally as a "panjachon," formed during the 1970s and 1980s when people displaced by Gangnam district's development and house demolitions settled there. Gangnam has since become one of the wealthiest areas in Seoul and South Korea. The shantytown covers about 266,000 square meters, roughly the size of 37 football fields, divided into eight zones.
The village has frequently experienced fires. On 16 January this year, a fire broke out in zone 4 and spread to zones 5 and 6, forcing 258 residents to evacuate. Large fires also occurred during dry weather in January 2023 and March 2022.
Homes in the community are crowded together and built from flammable materials like "toksom"—compressed cotton insulation—vinyl, and plywood. The area is filled with liquefied petroleum gas tanks and disorganized electrical wiring. Additionally, there are no accessible routes for fire trucks to enter the area.
Currently, Kuryong village is designated as an urban redevelopment zone, with plans to replace it with a housing project comprising around 2,000 public housing units in buildings up to 28 stories high. Construction is scheduled to begin next year and is expected to be completed by 2031.