A fire on Friday tore through Guryong village, one of Seoul’s last shanty towns, destroying makeshift homes and displacing dozens. Emergency crews largely contained the blaze after about six and a half hours, and more than 1,200 personnel were deployed. Rescuers conducted door-to-door searches while investigators probe the cause. Guryong, formed in the 1980s after mass evictions, remains a symbol of Seoul’s stark income inequality.
Blaze Tears Through Guryong Village, Seoul's Last Shanty Town — Dozens Displaced
Smoke rises at the scene of a fire in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Choi Jin-seok/Newsis via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A fast-moving fire swept through Guryong village in southern Seoul on Friday, destroying makeshift homes and forcing dozens of residents to flee. Officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties as emergency crews worked to account for people in the affected area.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Choi Jin-seok/Newsis via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Response and Investigation
Fire officials reported the blaze was largely brought under control about six and a half hours after it began. Local fire officer Jeong Gwang-hun told a televised briefing that rescuers conducted door-to-door searches of every house in the burned area to look for possible victims. More than 1,200 personnel — including firefighters and police officers — were deployed to the scene, and investigators are probing the cause of the fire.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Choi Jin-seok/Newsis via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Vulnerability and Context
Observers say Guryong village’s tightly packed makeshift homes, many constructed from materials that burn easily, have made it vulnerable to fires for years. The hillside settlement sits beside some of Seoul’s most expensive neighborhoods, where towering high-rise apartments and upscale shopping districts highlight stark contrasts in living conditions.
Guryong was formed in the 1980s as a settlement for people evicted during large-scale clearances and redevelopment projects. Those removals, carried out during a period of rapid urban transformation overseen by military-backed authorities, were part of efforts to modernize and prepare the city for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Note: Authorities continue house-to-house checks and have not yet released a confirmed cause for the fire.
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