Hundreds of people evacuated after fire in Seoul slum

In Seoul, a fire has raged in one of the last slums of the South Korean capital. About sixty homes, often no more than a hut built of wood and cardboard, went up in flames.

The fire broke out around 6:30 a.m. local time. Hundreds of firefighters, police officers and welfare workers helped fight the blaze and evacuate residents. Ten fire-fighting helicopters were also deployed. The fire was out after five hours.

As far as is known, no one has been killed or injured. About 500 residents have been taken care of elsewhere, including in a sports hall. They are expected to return home soon. The residents of the burned down houses are temporarily accommodated in a hotel.

Guryong slum is located at the southern end of the very affluent Gangnam district, which is home to some of Seoul’s most expensive apartment complexes and swankiest shopping streets.

It is the largest and most famous slum in the South Korean capital. It is estimated that about a thousand people live there and there are more than 600 homes.

The neighborhood came into being in the second half of the 1980s. Hundreds of people moved there after losing their homes due to the massive construction boom that accompanied the organization of the Asian Games in 1986 and the Olympic Games two years later. The then military rulers wanted to beautify the capital, which meant in particular that the less prosperous neighborhoods were razed to the ground.

The local government has had plans for the redevelopment of Guryong for more than ten years, but is still unable to reach an agreement with the landowners and residents. The owners want to be compensated for lost income. Various governments are also wrangling over whether they should help the residents, who have more or less squatted the land, to find a new home.