Fire engulfs an apartment in Myeongdong, Gyeongseong… As 4 people die, “firewall and high-rise escape plan urgently needed”[염복규의 경성, 서울의 기원]｜Dong-A Ilbo

“199 fires in 1935, damage 650,000 won”
Large-scale fires with large losses are increasing… High frequency in Changsin-dong, where factories were concentrated
The first permanent ‘Gyeongseong Fire Station’ was established in 1925.
Japan mobilizes crowds to promote fire drills… Military training after provocation of Sino-Japanese war

The fire at the Gyeongseong Theater reported in the Maeil Shinbo in February 1929. The building burned down and a new theater was built the following year. Provided by the National Library of Korea
《Fires increased due to urbanization

In January 1940, the monthly fire damage in Gyeongseong amounted to about 500,000 won. January, the middle of winter, is always the month with the most fires. But 1940 was very unusual. This is because the amount of damage was almost five times that of the same month last year. In a year with relatively few fires, the amount was a large sum equivalent to nearly a year’s worth of damage. This is because the damage from the fire at the Taeyang Oil Company in Guyongsan Gyeongjeong (currently Munbae-dong, Yongsan-gu) amounted to 450,000 won. Regarding this fire, ‘Maeil Shinbo’ analyzed that as the urbanization of Gyeongseong progressed and the number of factories and high-rise buildings gradually increased, fires were also becoming larger (‘Maeil Shinbo’, February 3, 1940). At the time, fire authorities at the Government-General classified fires with damages exceeding 50,000 won as ‘special fires’, and in 1940 alone, six special fires occurred, including the fire at the Taeyang Oil Company (Chosun Firefighting Association’s brochure ‘Joseon Firefighting’, 1941 April issue).》

Yeom Bok-gyu, Professor of Korean History, University of Seoul Humankind was able to achieve advanced civilization development through the use of fire. However, at the same time, fire, which is damage caused by fire, became unavoidable. Fires have been a phenomenon that occurs throughout the ages, but with the progress of modernization and industrialization and the use of more powerful ignition materials, the frequency and intensity of occurrences has also increased. Meanwhile, with the advancement of urbanization, the damage from fire was bound to increase as people and buildings crowded into limited spaces. Fires are disasters that can occur anytime, anywhere, but urban fires, especially fires in large cities such as Gyeongseong, cause greater damage.

There are no consistent fire statistics in Gyeongseong throughout the Japanese colonial period. However, if we collect some partial statistics, we can guess the relationship between urbanization in Gyeongseong and the occurrence of fires. For example, in 1914, there were 171 fires and the amount of damage was about 100,000 won, while in 1935 there were 199 fires and the amount of damage was about 650,000 won (Seoul Current Affairs Compilation Committee ‘Seoul Statistical Data Collection’, 1993). The increase in damages is more noticeable than the increase in the number of cases. It can be seen that large-scale fires are increasing over time.

A scene from a fire drill in Jongno on the occasion of ‘Japanese Army Memorial Day’ in March 1935. It was published in Gyeongseong Hwibo. Since the mid-1930s, the military nature of fire training has been further strengthened. Provided by the National Library of Korea Meanwhile, if you look at the average annual number of fires by region in Gyeongseong in 1930, one region stands out with 6 fires, compared to 1 or 2 in other regions. It is Changsin-dong (‘Gyeongseong Hwibo’, December 1931 issue). Changsin-dong, the border between Jongno and Dongdaemun, was an area dense with small factories at the time. This is a place with a lot of ‘hazardous substances’ that can cause a fire. Meanwhile, looking at the number of fires occurring within each police station in Gyeongseong in 1936, all other police stations had less than 100 cases, but Jongno Police Station and Bonjeong Police Station, located in the city center, had 143 and 186 fires, respectively, with a significantly higher frequency of occurrence (Maeil Shinbo) ·May 13, 1937).

Urban lifestyles that are different from before have also brought about the need for new fire preparedness. In the 1930s, apartments, a form of collective housing, began to appear in Gyeongseong. In January 1937, a fire occurred in an apartment complex in Myeongchijeong (currently Myeongdong), killing four people. This accident sparked public opinion that fire prevention regulations and fire prevention equipment should be established in apartments and other apartment complexes. “There are rules for inns, but there are no regulations at all for apartments, which are almost similar to inns and pose a high risk of elderly people and children living in each room and cooking in each room. “Since an apartment is a collection of units, the walls of each unit must be built with a fireproof structure so as not to affect the neighbors on the front, left, right, top and bottom.” and “I am currently living on a high floor of the apartment. “It is necessary for people in the area to research in advance what methods they can use to evacuate in case of an emergency” (Maeil Shinbo, January 13, 1937).

A 1937 Maeil Shinbo article announcing the construction of a new building for the Gyeongseong Fire Department, which was newly established in 1925. The new Gyeongseong Fire Station building was used as the Seoul Central Fire Station building after liberation and was then demolished. Provided by the National Library of Korea As fires became more frequent, firefighting equipment began to develop in response. Initially, the firefighting organization started out as an autonomous firefighting team modeled after Japanese traditions. Therefore, it was primarily a Japanese organization. In Gyeongseong, the Namchon Gyeongseong Fire Rescue Team, organized in 1889, is the most important. Subsequently, the Yongsan Fire Department and the Mapo Fire Department, a Korean fire department, were also organized. The Korean fire brigade organization is a phenomenon rarely seen in other regions. I think it was because it was the largest city, so there was a lot of risk of fire. After the annexation, the Government General enacted the ‘Fire Fighting Team Rules’ and had various firefighting teams under the overall command of the Government General Police Office. This is because autonomous organizations, whether Japanese or Korean, were reluctant to operate. In 1925, the Gyeongseong Fire Department, the first permanent firefighting organization in Joseon, was established. In 1944 and 1945, the Gyeongseong Fire Department branch was promoted to Yongsan Fire Station and Seongdong Fire Department. It is a result of urban expansion and increased fires. Until liberation on August 15, the Cheongjin Fire Department was the only one outside of Gyeongseong.

The Government General regularly mobilized firefighters and conducted fire drills. Regular training is representative of the fire department dispatch ceremony on January 4th every year, as well as spring and fall training. However, the purpose of the fire training at the Government General was not only to improve firefighting capabilities, but also to ‘show off’ on a large scale. Since firefighting is an act of protecting people’s lives and property from fire disasters, firefighting training was a good propaganda material to show the power and legitimacy of the power in charge of it. Therefore, large crowds were always mobilized for fire drills. They also produced special events. In 1918, at the invitation of the Japanese Government General, the so-called ‘Jaehunchun Compatriot Inspection Team’ visited Gyeongseong. Hunchun is one of the central cities of Jiandao, where many Koreans immigrated. In the early days of annexation, the Japanese Government-General invited Koreans living in Manchuria and planned many events to show off the ‘good governance of the Japanese Government-General’. At this time, as part of the inspection schedule, the fire brigade’s fire extinguishing training was demonstrated.

“The Korean compatriots in Hunchun, who went far to the North Jiandao region, established a base outside of Hunchun Province, experienced numerous hardships and hardships in a foreign country, and were diligent and diligent in commerce and industry, holding a kind of intangible great power. Due to the inconvenience of transportation, the Korean compatriots in Hunchun always studied the conditions in the interior of Joseon in detail. “It was a great regret that we did not know the situation of Joseon, which was experiencing a rapid rise in daily income within 7 to 8 years due to the limited opportunity to witness it,” he said. “The Inspector General of Police made preparations to convene the Gyeongseong Fire Brigade and hold a fire demonstration at the Inspector General’s Square in order to give the inspection team a tour.” “Then Chief Inspector Oguma explained in detail the various ingenious fire-fighting machines and then began the fire brigade’s activities.” The inspection team said, “Everyone was amazed at the spouting of water and the lively and agile operation of the fire engines and steam pumps.” And some members, like me, lamented that it was truly beyond a dream to have perfected facilities for the lives and property of the people” (Maeil Shinbo, May 5, 1918). You can clearly see what the Japanese were trying to show in their fire drill demonstration.

Among the regular fire drills, the fall drill of 1928 is worth remembering. “The Security Department of the National Police Agency decided to hold an autumn fire inspection and grand exercise at the training center square in the department starting at 10 a.m. on December 3rd,” and “on that day, a number of relevant officials and other citizens will be invited and a ceremony will be held for Gyeongseong Fire Station and its firefighters.” After the inspection, followed by a division march, the next exercise began, ‘Life-saving and fire protection methods for houses damaged by aircraft drop bombs’, and about 100 four-story houses were installed in front of the training center. When a bomb fell on a house and a fire broke out, a novel and dangerous scene of rescuing a child and a woman on the upper floor using a rescue team, a rescue tent, ropes and ladders was performed” (Maeil Shinbo) ‘·November 26, 1928). It was the first training in Gyeongseong that added elements of a kind of ‘civil defense training’ to fire training. This type of training was held on an even larger scale after Japan provoked the Sino-Japanese War. The 1937 fall firefighting training was promoted on a large scale, with the number of participants reaching 430, nearly double the previous number (‘Chosun Firefighting’, November 1937 issue). Now firefighting is no longer a pure fire response activity. The color of military activities in preparation for the war that had already taken place and the coming war was becoming more intense.

Yeom Bok-gyu, Professor of Korean History, University of Seoul

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