 |
| Fire breaks out in Seoul Coex mall on April 25 |
A fire broke out around 11:00 AM on April 25 at COEX Mall, a major multi-complex shopping and convention center located in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, triggering panic and the emergency evacuation of hundreds of visitors and staff.
According to a statement from the Seoul Fire Department, the initial cause of the fire was traced to the kitchen ventilation system inside a second-floor restaurant. The blaze quickly spread smoke throughout the building, particularly affecting areas near Starfield COEX Mall.
The fire was fully contained within 35 minutes, by 11:40 AM, thanks to the rapid response of firefighters who dispatched 33 fire trucks and 121 personnel to the scene. Fortunately, no casualties or serious injuries were reported.
Some individuals were treated for minor smoke inhalation, but there were no life-threatening incidents.
 |
| Thick smoke covers Gangnam streets |
Dense black smoke poured from the second floor, causing alarm and forcing a swift evacuation of visitors and employees. Footage shared on social media showed plumes of smoke rising from the second floor and spreading out toward Yeongdong-daero, one of Gangnam's major roads.
By 2:00 PM, COEX had reopened all levels except the second floor, where the fire originated. Cleanup crews were still working to clear slippery floors caused by firefighting water and to ventilate the remaining smoke.
The fire temporarily halted the 2025 World IT Show, a major tech event held at COEX. However, the event resumed operations later in the afternoon once safety was confirmed.
📚 Learn Korean Through This News
Korean Text:
"25일 소방 당국은 이날 오전 11시 6분 코엑스 내부 한 식당에서 불이 났다는 신고를 받고 소방차와 인력 등을 총동원해 진압에 나섰다."
Key Vocabulary:
- 소방 당국 (so-bang dang-guk) – fire authorities
- 불이 나다 (bul-i na-da) – to catch fire / a fire breaks out
- 신고를 받다 (sin-go-reul bat-da) – to receive a report (of an incident)
- 소방차 (so-bang-cha) – fire truck
- 인력 (il-ryeok) – manpower / personnel
- 총동원하다 (chong-dong-won-ha-da) – to fully mobilize
- 진압에 나서다 (jin-ap-e na-seo-da) – to begin suppression / take action to extinguish
Grammar Notes:
- ~다는 신고를 받고: Indirect quotation pattern meaning "received a report that ~"
- ~에 나서다 → 진압에 나섰다: "To set out to do ~", often used in emergency or official action contexts (e.g., 진압에 나서다 = began extinguishing)
Translation:
"On the 25th, fire authorities mobilized fire trucks and personnel in full force to extinguish a fire that broke out in a restaurant inside COEX at 11:06 a.m. that day."