Sprinklers to Be Installed in All Elementary, Middle, and High School Dormitories by 2026

Only 21% of School Dormitory Buildings Have Sprinklers Installed
Installation Promoted Even If Floor Count or Area Falls Below Standards

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education announced on the 2nd that by 2026, sprinklers will be installed on every floor of all dormitories in elementary and secondary schools nationwide, regardless of installation standards.

According to the Ministry of Education, currently, 1,195 schools (1,619 buildings) have dormitories, but only 248 schools and 341 buildings, accounting for 21% of the total, have sprinklers installed.

Under the current "Fire Prevention, Installation and Maintenance of Firefighting Facilities, and Safety Management Act," sprinklers must be installed on all floors of dormitories with a total floor area of 5,000㎡ or more, or in dormitories with a total floor area of 100㎡ or more (simple sprinklers).

Dormitories are spaces where many students live and stay overnight, and if a fire occurs at night, the damage can be severe. Therefore, it is necessary to install sprinklers even in dormitories that do not meet the floor or area standards.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Education will gradually install sprinklers in 947 schools (1,278 buildings) with dormitories by 2026.

They also plan to expedite the passage of a partial amendment to the "Educational Facilities Act" in the National Assembly, which will strengthen the installation of firefighting facilities when constructing or expanding dormitories in elementary and secondary schools.

On the 3rd, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Park Soon-ae is scheduled to visit Gwangju Seoseok High School and Bomun High School to conduct safety inspections of student dormitories in relation to this matter.

Deputy Prime Minister Park said, "Protecting students' lives and creating safe schools is the responsibility of the state," adding, "We will continue to do our best to ensure that students can live and study in a safe environment."

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