Seoul City to Conduct Free Electrical Facility Inspections and Replacements for 132 'Good Price Businesses'

Joint Inspection by City-District-Kepco from June
Electrical Leakage Safety Check, Replacement of Old/Defective Outlets and Switches, Wiring Organization, and Other Safety Measures

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Despite the prolonged difficulties caused by COVID-19, Seoul City is launching a project to inspect the electrical facilities of ‘Good Price Businesses’ that maintain low prices without raising them, and to replace outdated parts free of charge.

On the 1st, Seoul City announced that starting from mid-June, for four months, the city, autonomous districts, and the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation will jointly conduct the project targeting 132 businesses among the Good Price Businesses that requested inspections.

Among the 3,677 fire incidents that occurred in restaurants and personal service businesses in Seoul in 2019, 1,166 cases (32%) were caused by electrical factors. Accordingly, Seoul City is conducting this inspection to prevent fires through regular checks and replacement of aging facilities, supporting merchants to operate in a safe environment.

Seoul City and the autonomous districts selected 132 Good Price Businesses that requested electrical facility safety inspections through a recent demand survey. Employees of the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation will visit these businesses to conduct safety diagnostics of electrical equipment, provide free replacement of electrical facilities, and offer safety education.

The safety inspection will cover checks for electrical leakage, insulation resistance measurement, installation and proper operation of leakage circuit breakers, deterioration and aging of wiring circuit breakers, and the appropriateness of indoor wiring conditions. Additionally, outdated or faulty leakage circuit breakers, outlets, switches, lighting fixtures, and old wiring will be replaced, and safety measures such as wiring organization will be implemented.

Furthermore, to raise merchants’ awareness and vigilance regarding fire safety, education on proper capacity of switches, use of rated fuses, and safety rules for electrical usage by location will also be provided.

Meanwhile, ‘Good Price Businesses’ are those that maintain affordable prices despite rising labor, material, and rental costs while providing high-quality services. These businesses are designated through applications from individual businesses and consultations between Seoul City and autonomous districts. Currently, there are a total of 850 Good Price Businesses operating in Seoul, including 555 food service businesses such as Korean and Chinese restaurants, and 295 personal service businesses such as beauty salons and laundries.

Seo Seong-man, Director of Labor and Livelihood Policy at Seoul City, said, “We plan to provide various support so that Good Price Businesses, which contribute to price stability by offering goods and services at low prices despite the prolonged economic downturn, can operate safely and stably.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.