Busan fire reflects lack of safety measures at karaoke boxes

Busan fire reflects lack of safety measures at karaoke boxes. May. 07, 2012 05:19. woohaha@donga.com starsky@donga.com.

Saturday`s blaze at a Busan karaoke box that killed nine people highlighted the lack of fire safety at Korea`s karaoke establishments.

A 2009 fire at a karaoke box in Busan killed 15 people, while another in 2008 in Daegu killed two and injured 19. These places had labyrinth-like interiors that made it difficult to evacuate in an emergency.

Moreover, customers singing in a compartmentalized space make it difficult for people to be aware of a fire. Most karaoke boxes also use flammable materials inside, which can release toxic gas and cause numerous casualties.

Statistics also show how vulnerable karaoke places are to fire. Korea had 36,841 karaoke boxes last month. A combined 197 fires erupted at such places last year. In contrast, the country`s 55,434 restaurants had 196 fires last year.

In January this year, a new law took effect requiring all karaoke establishments to use an automatic video blocking device. In the event of a fire, the device stops video content on a karaoke monitor and displays a fire warning.

The karaoke box in Busan where a fire killed nine people Saturday night, however, was exempt from the requirement. Under the law, failure to install the video blocking device warrants up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 15 million won (13,250 U.S. dollars) for the karaoke box owner.