By Micah Jonah
January 16, 2026
Hundreds of South Korean firefighters are battling a major fire in Guryong Village, a deprived area on the fringe of Seoul’s upmarket Gangnam district.
The blaze broke out around 5a.m. local time on Friday, prompting authorities to raise the fire alert to the second-highest level. Some 300 firefighters and 85 fire trucks have been deployed to contain the fire, amid fears it could spread to a nearby mountain. A firefighting helicopter was unable to assist due to poor visibility.
There were no initial reports of casualties, though dozens of residents were forced to evacuate. Photographs from the scene showed thick black smoke rising over the area as elderly residents wearing face masks fled their homes.
“I was asleep until a neighbour called saying there was a fire. I ran out, saw the flames already spreading,” said Kim Ok-im, 69, who has lived in the area for nearly 30 years.
Guryong Village, described as one of the last remaining shanty towns in Seoul, is located on the edge of the city’s wealthiest district. The ramshackle housing emerged in the 1970s and 1980s when low-income residents were displaced during major urban redevelopment, including for the Asian Games and Seoul Olympics.
The makeshift homes are densely packed and constructed with flammable materials such as vinyl, plywood, and styrofoam, making the area particularly susceptible to fires, according to fire department assessments following a 2023 blaze.
Most residents have moved out over the years, but around 336 households still remain in Guryong Village, the Gangnam District city planning department says.
