'Icheon Screen Golf Course Fire' Disaster Risks Everywhere... Owners Cutting Costs by 'Eupbeop' Methods

Joint investigation site of fire at Icheon hospital building
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seo-hee] Following the hospital building fire accident in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, which resulted in 47 casualties on the 5th, concerns have been raised that screen golf centers are a blind spot in 'disaster prevention.' It was revealed that the screen golf center, the initial ignition site of the accident, did not even have a simple sprinkler system.

On the 11th, Asia Economy's on-site investigation confirmed that many small-scale screen golf centers and indoor golf practice ranges in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul, lack proper fire prevention equipment such as sprinklers and automatic fire extinguishers. Due to the nature of the business, screen golf centers are equipped with many flammable materials such as artificial turf and sofas. Additionally, the layout of each room is similar to that of a goshiwon (small, partitioned rooms), and many spaces lack separate windows, raising concerns that users are exposed to fire risks without protection.

◆ Many places fail to meet fire safety standards by using ‘curtains’ instead of doors

Interior of an indoor golf practice range in Seocho-gu, Seoul [Photo by Lee Seohee]

At an indoor golf practice range in Seocho-gu, Seoul, visited by the reporter, there were three practice rooms. Each room was equipped with an independent screen golf system, and the floors were covered with artificial turf. Sofas for short breaks during practice were also noticeable in each room.

The problem is that these spaces are partitioned not by walls but by velvet curtains.

According to industry sources, the reason for partitioning practice rooms with curtains instead of walls is a workaround to reduce the cost of installing fire safety equipment. If partitioned by walls, fire safety equipment must be installed in each room, but if recognized as a single space during licensing, the cost burden is reduced accordingly.

According to the Special Act on Safety Management of Multi-use Facilities, businesses classified as multi-use facilities must install fire safety equipment in each internally partitioned ‘room.’ Golf practice ranges (screen golf centers) fall under multi-use facilities regardless of their size and are subject to this regulation.

The 'standards for installation and maintenance of safety facilities' stipulated in this law require business owners to place one fire extinguisher, automatic fire extinguisher, emergency bell system, or automatic fire detection system, guidance lights, and emergency lighting in each separated space. The more partitions inside the business, the greater the burden of installing fire safety equipment.

According to related industries, smaller screen golf centers are more likely to use such workarounds to avoid these regulations. Large franchise screen golf centers are relatively better due to strict management rules from headquarters, but small-scale businesses evade regulations to reduce costs. It is reported that equipping the legally required fire safety equipment costs at least 10 million KRW per room.

Choi (43), who operates a screen golf center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, said, “I understand that small businesses reduce installation costs by installing curtains instead of walls.”

“Mandatory installation of simple sprinklers and disaster prevention inspections every three years”

A citizen practicing at a screen golf practice center in Seoul city [Photo by Yonhap News]

Experts point out the need to mandate the installation of at least simple sprinklers in each room regardless of wall partitions to reduce fire damage.

Along with this, there is also a need to strengthen inspections and crackdowns on the use of unapproved flame-retardant products. Facilities installed in screen golf centers must use products certified by the Korea Fire Institute (KFI), but the proportion of uncertified products used in small businesses is high. Even KFI-certified products lose their flame-retardant effectiveness over time, so regular inspections are essential. Professor Gong Ha-seong of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Woosuk University explained, “Flame-retardant treated products lose their effectiveness after about three years, which is why regular inspections must be strengthened.”

However, the screen golf industry on the front lines argues that it is realistically difficult for small businesses to comply with such regulations, so government or local government support is necessary. Lee (37), who operates a screen golf center in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, said, “The government is implementing a support project for the installation costs of simple sprinklers, but the scope and scale are limited. For safety reasons, it is necessary to expand these benefits.”

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