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Major fire breaks out in slum area of South Korea’s Gangnam district, Yonhap reports

By Thomson Reuters Jan 15, 2026 | 6:27 PM

SEOUL, Jan 16 (Reuters) – About 200 South Korean firefighters ‍were deployed on Friday to fight a major fire in a deprived area ‌of the ‌upmarket Gangnam district of southern Seoul, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

No casualties ​had been reported so far, ‍but about ​25 residents were ​evacuated, with firefighters ‍concerned about the blaze spreading to a nearby mountain, Yonhap said.

The area ‍known as Guryong Village is a pocket of ‍ramshackle ‍housing in Gangnam, ​one of ​Seoul’s ⁠wealthiest districts. It ‌is due to be redeveloped into high-rise residential buildings.

(Reporting by Heejin KimEditing by Ed ⁠Davies)