Reasons for Proposal
The current law mandates that the owner, manager, or occupant (Gwangyein) of a specific fire service object must install and manage firefighting systems as prescribed by the Presidential Decree, in accordance with fire safety standards. If the Presidential Decree or fire safety standards are strengthened, the previous standards generally apply to existing specific fire service objects. However, strengthened standards are applied to firefighting systems installed in facilities for the elderly and children , among others.
Separately, since 2018, the installation of sprinkler systems has been mandatory in all floors of specific fire service objects with six or more stories, and the installation of simple sprinkler systems has been mandatory in multi-family housing, specifically row houses and multi-household houses.
However, a serious issue was raised regarding a fire at an apartment in Busan in June 2025: the existing standards were applied because the building was constructed before the mandatory sprinkler installation requirement, resulting in no sprinkler system and thus significant damage and casualties.
Therefore, this proposal aims to prevent fires in aging apartment buildings by:
1. Stipulating in the law the mandatory installation of sprinkler systems or simple sprinkler systems on all floors of multi-family housing among specific fire service objects.
2. Requiring the systems to be installed in existing multi-family housing by the day 2 years after this Act takes effect.
3. Adding multi-family housing to the list of specific fire service objects to which strengthened standards can be applied.
4. Allowing the central or local government to support the necessary costs for applying these strengthened standards. (e.g., Draft Article 12, Paragraph 1, latter part).
Major Provisions
Imposition of an Obligation on the Owner, Manager, or Occupant (Gwangyein) of Multi-family Housing among Specific Fire Service Objects to Install and Manage Sprinkler Systems on All Floors (Draft Article 12, Paragraph 1, latter part, and Article 13, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2, Item E).
