Guryong Village fire: Seoul's last shantytown burns for 13 hours, 107 affected
A fire in Guryong Village, the last large shantytown in Seoul's wealthy Gangnam district, burned for nearly 13 hours before it was put out early on Wednesday, affecting about 107 residents in 77 households; one woman suffered minor injuries.
At a glance
- The fire started at about 3:50 pm on Tuesday, October 27, in a makeshift building in Zone 2 of Guryong Village, Gangnam, and was fully extinguished at about 4:39 am on Wednesday — 12 hours and 49 minutes later.
- About 107 residents from 77 households were affected; a woman in her 30s suffered minor leg injuries and no other casualties were reported.
- 232 firefighters and other personnel, 110 pieces of equipment and six helicopters fought the blaze amid strong winds, darkness and a water shortage.
- Police and fire authorities have begun a joint inspection to find the cause; displaced residents are staying in school gymnasiums and lodgings.
- It is at least the fourth major fire in the village since 2022; the site is due to be redeveloped into about 2,000 public housing units by 2031.
A large fire tore through Guryong Village, the last major shantytown in Seoul's affluent Gangnam district, on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, and was only fully put out at about 4:39 am on Wednesday, almost 13 hours after it began. Fire authorities said about 107 residents from 77 households were affected and one woman suffered minor injuries; no deaths were reported. Police and firefighters have opened a joint investigation into the cause.
What happened
The blaze started at about 3:50 pm on Tuesday in a makeshift building in Zone 2 of the village. Strong winds carried the flames into neighbouring zones and towards the slopes of Mount Guryong, and smoke could be seen from as far away as Dobong District in northern Seoul and from Anyang in Gyeonggi Province. Nearby residents reported several loud bangs, which they believed were gas cylinders exploding.
Firefighters brought the main fire under control at about 10:05 pm, but pockets kept burning through the night. Officials said darkness, the wind and a shortage of water made the operation difficult. Firefighters managed to stop the fire from spreading onto the mountain and into the remaining clusters of shacks. Burned land was put at an area about the size of 26 football pitches.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Fire started | About 3:50 pm, Tuesday, Oct 27 |
| Main fire under control | About 10:05 pm, Tuesday |
| Fully extinguished | About 4:39 am, Wednesday, Oct 28 |
| Duration | 12 hours 49 minutes |
| Residents affected | About 107 (77 households) |
| Self-evacuated | 39 residents |
| Injuries | 1 (minor leg injury, woman in her 30s) |
| Personnel deployed | 232 |
| Equipment | 110 units, including 6 helicopters |
Help for residents
The Gangnam District Office set up temporary shelters in nearby school gymnasiums and arranged lodgings for families who lost their homes. The district is assessing damage household by household.
Background: a village built of plywood and vinyl
Guryong Village formed in the 1970s and 1980s when people displaced by the rapid development of southern Seoul built shacks on the edge of Mount Guryong. It now covers about 266,000 square metres, divided into eight zones, in the shadow of some of the most expensive apartments in South Korea.
The homes are packed tightly together and built from flammable materials such as felt-like insulation sheets, vinyl and plywood. Many rely on propane cylinders for heating and cooking, wiring is often exposed, and there are no proper access roads for fire engines. The village has burned repeatedly: major fires struck in March 2022 and January 2023, and on January 16, 2026, a fire that began in Zone 4 spread to Zones 5 and 6 and forced 258 residents to evacuate.
Why it matters
The fire again highlights the danger faced by the poorest residents of one of Asia's richest cities as winter approaches, when heating use and dry weather raise the risk. Fire safety experts and residents' groups have long urged faster rehousing of the remaining households.
What happens next
Investigators will try to establish where and how the fire started. The village is already designated an urban development zone: the plan is to replace the shacks with a complex of about 2,000 public housing units in buildings of up to 28 storeys, with construction due to start next year and finish in 2031. Residents' groups are likely to press for temporary housing for affected families until then.
Questions people are asking
What is Guryong Village?
Guryong Village is an unlicensed shantytown in Seoul's Gangnam district, formed by people displaced by development in the 1970s and 1980s. It covers about 266,000 square metres and is due to be replaced by a public housing complex.
Was anyone killed in the Guryong Village fire?
No deaths were reported. A woman in her 30s suffered minor leg injuries, and about 107 residents from 77 households were affected by the October 27–28, 2026 fire.
What caused the Guryong Village fire?
The cause has not yet been determined. Police and fire authorities began a joint inspection of the site on Wednesday, October 28, after the blaze was put out.
