▲ Firefighters arrive to put out a fire at Guryong village in southern Seoul in this photo provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters on Jan. 16, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ A fire ravages Guryong village in southern Seoul on Jan. 16, 2026. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) shanty town-fire

(2nd LD) About 200 displaced by fire in low-income town in Seoul; main blaze contained

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with details; CHANGES headline; TIGHTENS)

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- About 200 people were displaced by a fire Friday that ravaged through a low-income town in southern Seoul, with the main blaze contained, officials said.

The fire broke out at around 5 a.m. in the Guryong village, one of the last-remaining shanty towns in Seoul, before the main blaze was brought under control at 11:34 a.m. No casualties have been reported.

The fire had quickly spread to another district of the village, prompting authorities to evacuate 258 people from the area. Some 180 residents are presumed to have lost their homes in the fire.

Authorities deployed a total of 1,258 personnel and 106 pieces of firefighting equipment to the scene after receiving an initial report of a fire that broke out at an unoccupied house. They plan to investigate the exact cause of the blaze.

Fire authorities suspect the flames spread quickly as the houses in the area are built with flammable materials, such as thermal cotton and plywood.

Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung instructed authorities to mobilize all available personnel and equipment for rescue and firefighting efforts.

"Please check empty houses so that there are no casualties, and make sure that no firefighter is hurt while carrying out swift and thorough evacuation and firefighting efforts," he said.

The Guryong village is located on the fringes of Gangnam, known for the country's most expensive real estate. It was formed in the 1980s when low-income residents of the region were forced to move out of their homes as the city carried out development projects.

Makeshift houses illegally built at the foot of Mount Guryong are prone to electric malfunctions and fire, as they are built with flammable materials.

The area is considered the last remaining slum of the Gangnam area and is awaiting redevelopment.

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