More than half of South Korea’s population resides in apartment housing, which is highly preferred due to its convenience and well-developed shared facilities. However, apartments are inherently vulnerable to fire incidents because of the high conce...
More than half of South Korea’s population resides in apartment housing, which is highly preferred due to its convenience and well-developed shared facilities. However, apartments are inherently vulnerable to fire incidents because of the high concentration of combustible materials within individual units, frequent use of ignition sources, extensive use of electrical appliances, and nighttime occupancy during sleep. As a result, apartment fires occur more frequently than in other types of buildings and often lead to significant casualties and property damage.
In response to repeated fire incidents, the government has continuously strengthened fire safety–related regulations. Nevertheless, buildings are constructed in accordance with the regulations in effect at the time of their building permit approval. Consequently, older apartment buildings possess inherent limitations in fire safety compared to newly constructed ones, a disparity that has contributed to increasingly severe fire damage in aging apartment complexes.
This study aims to examine the appropriateness and feasibility of retroactively installing fire-safety building materials and fire-protection systems as a means of improving fire safety in existing apartment buildings. To this end, the study analyzes the factors contributing to fire spread in major apartment fire incidents that occurred over the past decade and identifies items that require retroactive installation. Subsequently, a survey was conducted among 156 experts in the fields of architecture and fire safety to assess the necessity of retroactive installation, priority items for application, and key considerations during implementation.
The results indicate that eight out of ten experts support the retroactive installation of fire-safety building materials and fire-protection systems, with 80% of supporters believing that such measures would substantially enhance the actual safety of buildings. However, retroactive installation may give rise to social conflicts due to structural limitations, substantial costs, and inconvenience to residents. Therefore, rather than adopting a uniform approach, implementation should be tailored by considering building characteristics and residents’ opinions. In addition to financial incentives such as national and local government subsidies and tax benefits, efforts to raise public awareness are necessary to emphasize that proactive fire-safety improvements can significantly reduce both human casualties and economic losses.