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Busan Metropolitan City Promotes Key Measures to Prevent Fires Among Vulnerable Groups… Strengthens Care Services and Safety Nets in Aged Apartment Complexes

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) has announced the launch of key fire prevention measures for vulnerable groups in response to a series of fires and resulting casualties in aged apartment buildings. A dedicated “Fire Prevention Task Force for Vulnerable Groups,” led by the Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs, has been established.

The task force comprises 14 departments and organizations across three divisions and will work to close safety blind spots affecting vulnerable populations. Monthly meetings will be held to implement fire prevention measures tailored to Busan’s local conditions.

Key focus areas include strengthening the 24-hour childcare support policy, conducting inspections of aged apartment complexes, providing fire safety education and training for children and citizens, promoting public awareness campaigns, distributing fire safety supplies to vulnerable groups, and reinforcing safety measures at social welfare facilities. These efforts will be further enhanced to align with the government’s upcoming comprehensive policy announcement in August.

[Strengthening the 24-Hour Childcare Support Policy]
A 24/7 “AI-Integrated Childcare Call Center” will be launched to provide round-the-clock access to childcare information, ensuring seamless support tailored to each stage of a child’s development.

To provide more comprehensive and structured childcare, the city plans to establish the AI-integrated call center next year, which will guide users to age-appropriate childcare providers. Emergency supplementary budgets have also been allocated to expand nighttime care services (10 PM–6 AM) for children from vulnerable households by providing stipends to night-shift childcare providers.

Starting August 1, the city will expand the “Busan-style 365 Open Hour Childcare Centers” from the current number to ten centers, offering weekend and holiday childcare for preschoolers. Additionally, the city will increase the number of “nighttime extended care centers” (7:30 PM–12:00 AM) and “hourly childcare providers” (9:00 AM–6:00 PM) to over 10 centers each by next year to better meet nighttime childcare demand.

For school-aged children, after-school care services will be expanded, extending operational hours at facilities such as regional childcare centers, community care centers, and after-school academies from 9 PM to 10 PM. The number of such nighttime care centers will increase from 26 in 2025 to 58 in 2026.

[Comprehensive Inspection of Aged Apartment Complexes]
The city will conduct a full-scale inspection and assessment of aged apartment buildings, which are often home to vulnerable populations.

A detailed survey on the presence of sprinklers in these aged buildings will be carried out by the end of August. For the 3,004 apartment complexes currently lacking sprinkler systems, comprehensive fire safety inspections will be conducted in collaboration with the Fire Safety Headquarters, district offices, Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, and private experts.

[Safety Education and Training for Children and Citizens]
Fire safety education is being implemented at elementary schools adjacent to aged apartment complexes. Of 252 schools, 208 completed training before the summer break, and the remaining 44 will receive training at the start of the second semester. In addition, 42 apartment complexes identified as high-risk for fire have been selected for resident-centered fire drills, to be completed by August 31.

[Strengthened Public Awareness Campaigns]
Public awareness campaigns on fire prevention, including the dangers of improper use of multi-plug power strips and evacuation procedures, will be actively promoted through SNS, YouTube, and other available media channels.

[Distribution of Safety Supplies to Vulnerable Groups]
With a total budget of KRW 1.1 billion, Busan plans to distribute electric safety multi-taps and stand-alone smoke detectors to 5,000 households this year and 12,000 households next year—17,000 households in total. Priority recipients include households using childcare services and residing in aged apartment complexes, multi-family or detached homes below 75% of the median income, and those already receiving home fire safety equipment support.

The Fire Safety Headquarters will also launch a pilot project next year to install fire-resistant wooden doors in 30 aged apartment units to secure safe evacuation areas by blocking smoke and heat in the event of a fire.

Additionally, the Busan Housing Corporation will supply fire extinguishers to all units, management offices, and welfare centers in public rental housing and install simplified sprinkler systems in 10 pilot households. Plans are underway to install 120 more systems this year, with continued expansion next year.

[Safety Measures for Social Welfare Facilities]
Sprinklers will be installed in 34 social welfare centers currently without such systems. Fire safety inspections and evacuation drills will also be conducted once a year in childcare centers, welfare facilities, and long-term care hospitals. Retired professionals from the fire, electrical, and gas sectors will be recruited to form a new “Fire Prevention Mobile Safety Team” beginning next year, targeting facilities frequented by vulnerable populations such as senior welfare centers.

Mayor Park emphasized, “We will ensure thorough implementation of these measures to protect lives and build a safe urban environment free from fire risks,” adding, “Alongside a safe city environment, we will further strengthen the social safety net through enhanced care services.”