October 27, 2026

Fire breaks out in shantytown in Seoul's Gangnam district

The blaze affects 77 households and 107 people in Guryong village, prompting evacuations

Fire breaks out in shantytown in Seoul's Gangnam district
Flames and smoke rise from a fire in Guryong village in Seoul, South Korea, Oct 27, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon

Reuters

Published : 27 Oct 2026, 05:28 PM

Updated : 27 Oct 2026, 05:28 PM

A fire broke out on Tuesday in Guryong village, a shantytown in Seoul's upmarket Gangnam district, affecting 77 households and 107 people, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

No injuries or casualties had been reported, a fire official told Reuters, and Yonhap said people had evacuated to an emergency shelter.

The fire agency has deployed 232 personnel and 70 vehicles to fight the fire, which began at about 3:50pm local time (0650 GMT) in a temporary structure, Yonhap said. Six helicopters were sent to stop the fire spreading to a nearby mountain.

Guryong, often described as Seoul's largest remaining shantytown, emerged in the 1970s and 1980s when families displaced by public works projects settled on the edge of Gangnam without permits.

Its densely packed homes are built with flammable materials such as vinyl sheets and plywood.

A major fire in the village in January forced hundreds of residents to evacuate.

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