List of man-made disasters in South Korea explained

This is a partial list of man-made disasters in South Korea since the Korean War. It includes events that have a Wikipedia entry and other events mentioned in a reputable source.

width=50Year!DateLocationNumber killed Type Description Reference
1953 5 January 229 Maritime accident Sinking of ferry MV Changgyeong[1]
196026 January 31 Stampede At least 3,926 person trigger rush to platform on Number 601 local train, according to South Korea National Police Agency official confirmed report.
196911 DecemberDeparted from Gangneung Air Base0Terrorism Hijacking of South Korean domestic flight Korean Air Lines YS-11 hijacking
197014 OctoberMosan accident46Level crossing accident A 77 middle student board on bus, collision with Janghang Station bound express train at Mosan, Chungcheongnam-do, to according to SKNPA official confirmed report.
1971 18 January Kimpo6 Mass murder Killing spree by South Korean marine 1971 Kimpo killings[2]
197128 DecemberSeoul164 Fire Deadliest hotel fire in South Korean history Daeyeonggak Hotel fire
1972 15 December 323 to 326 Maritime accident Sinking of ferry Namyoung-Ho Sinking of Namyoung-Ho
1974 3 November Seoul 64 Nightclub fireTime Club fire List of nightclub fires
1975 August to October Various 17 Serial killingSerial killing spree Kim Dae-doo
1977 11 NovemberIksan, North Jeolla 56 to 59 Explosion Accidental detonation of a munitions train Iri Station explosion
1980 15 NovemberGimpo International Airport15 Aviation accident Pilot error on landing due to bad weather Korean Air Lines Flight 015
1980 18-27 MayGwangju187 Pro-democracy demonstrations Gwangju Uprising
1982 6 FebruaryJeju International Airport53 Aviation accident Crashing of military plane from bad weather February 1982 Korean Air Force C-123 accident
198218 March Busan1 Arson Arson attack on US target Busan American Cultural Service building arson
1982 18 April 25 Fire Accidental fire in a club, fire escapes chained shut List of nightclub fires
1982 26-27 April 63 Mass murder Shooting spree by a former marine Uiryeong Spree Killing
1984 14 January 34 Fire Hotel Fire [3]
1986-1988 October 1986 - August 1988 5 Serial killing Poisonings with potassium cyanide Kim Sun-ja (serial killer)
1986–199115 September 1986 - 3 April 1991 15 Serial killing Hwaseong serial murdersLee Choon-jae
1986 5 April 16 Fire Fire at a military fuel depot [4]
1986 14 September 5 Terrorism Bombing of airport by North Korea Gimpo International Airport bombing
1987 17 June 25 - 38Fire Fire from an overheated engine and sinking Kukdong-ho Fire[5]
1987 29 November 115 Terrorism Airliner destroyed by bomb planted aboard Korean Air Flight 858
1988 25 March 22 Fire Fire inside of Green Hill Textile Company [6] [7] [8] [9]
1991 26 March 5 Mass murder Unsolved homicide of 5 boys Frog Boys
1991 17 October 16 Arson Attack on a nightclub [10]
1993 28 March 78 Train derailment Unauthorized tunneling under causing track to collapse
1993 26 July 69 Aviation accident Pilot error leading to controlled flight into terrain Asiana Airlines Flight 733
1993 10 October292 Maritime accident Sinking of ferry in bad weather Sinking of MV Seohae
1993-94 South Jeolla5 Serial killing Serial killing against the rich; cannibalism Chijon family
199421 October 32 Structural failure Collapse of section of bridge from faulty weld Seongsu Bridge Disaster
199528 AprilDaegu 101 Explosion Construction accident leading to puncturing of gas pipe 1995 Daegu gas explosions
1995 29 June 502 Structural failure Department store collapse from structural overload
1996 17 September – 5 NovemberGangneung 40 Military confrontation Infiltration of North Korean spy submarine resulting in casualties to both sides 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident
1998 22 June 9 Military confrontation Sinking of damaged North Korean spy submarine under South Korean Navy control 1998 Sokcho submarine incident
199930 June 23 Fire Fire at children's summer camp dormitory Sealand Youth Training Center Fire
1999 30 October 54 to 65 Fire Fire at illegal bar for underage drinkers [11]
1999-2000 June 1999 - April 2000 Various 9 Serial killing Serial killing spree Jeong Du-yeong
2000 October - December 3 Serial killing Serial killing or rape of minors Kim Hae-sun
200215 April near Busan129 Aviation accident Pilot error leading to controlled flight into terrain Air China Flight 129
2003 18 February 192 Arson Suicide attack by setting fire to a subway train Daegu subway fire
2003–04September 2003 to July 2004 Seoul20 Serial killing Killing spree of prostitutes and old men; cannibalismYoo Young-chul
2004–06January 2004 to April 200615 Serial killing Serial killing spree Jeong Nam-gyu
2005–08 October 2005 to December 200810 Serial killing Serial killing spree of women due to lustKang Ho-sun
2008 10 February 0 Arson Arson to historic Namdaemun gate 2008 Namdaemun fire
2008 20 October6 Mass murder Arson and stabbing attack Nonhyeon-dong massacre
20087 January 40Fire Fire in warehouse under construction2008 Icheon fire[12]
2010 26 March46 Military confrontation North Korean attack ROKS Cheonan sinking
2011 4 July Ganghwa Island 4 Mass murder Mass shooting[13]
2011 28 July crashed near Jeju Island2Aviation accident Crash resulting from fire in aircraft's cargo Asiana Airlines Flight 991
2011 - 2014 3 Serial killing Killing of relatives with herbicides for money Pocheon poisonings
2014 16 April 304 Maritime accident Sinking of ferry from crew error and overloading Sinking of MV Sewol
2014 2 May0 Subway accident Rear-end collision 2014 Seoul subway crash
2014 21 June Gangwon5 Mass murder Rampage by a South Korean soldier Goseong killing spree
2014 17 October Seongnam16 Structural failure Ventilation grate collapse at K-pop concert[14]
201525-27 February Sejong City and Hwaseong8 Mass murder Two separate mass murder-suicides two days apart 2015 Sejong and Hwaseong shootings
2015 6 September offshore near Chuja18 Maritime accident Fishing boat lost in heavy seas Sinking of Dolgorae
2017 21 December29 Fire Electrical fire in a gym Jecheon building fire[15]
2018 20 January 5 Fire Arson attack on a hotel [16]
2018 26 January 41 Fire Unknown cause; lack of sprinklers Miryang hospital fire
2018 June 5 Fire Arson [17]
2018 19 AugustInchon9 Fire Fire in an electronics factory [18]
2018 9 NovemberSeoul7 Fire Fire caused by electric stove overheating [19]
202029 April 39 Fire Fire in a warehouse under construction 2020 Icheon fire
20219 June 9 Structural Failure Construction error during demolition 2021 Gwangju building collapse
20229 June 7 Arson Attack on a law office [20]
202229 October Seoul156 Crowd crush Crushing the crowd during Halloween festival Seoul Halloween crowd crush
202424 June Hwaseong, Gyeonggi22 Fire Accidental explosion in the warehouse of a lithium battery factory Aricell battery factory fire
20241 July Central Seoul9 Automobile crashElderly driver reversed into a busy crosswalk. 2024 Seoul car crash

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 9 January 2023 . 역사 속 오늘 업무상과실사상죄의 특별처벌법 시초 1953년 1월 9일= 1953년 . Today in history, Initiation of the Act on Special Punishment for Accidental Crimes of Business Negligence January 9, 1953 . Jeju press . ko.
  2. Web site: 鄭海兵(정해병)사령관 .
  3. News: AROUND THE WORLD; Fire in Korean Hotel Kills 34 and Injures 70 . The New York Times . 14 January 1984 .
  4. News: Siekert . Alexis . Osan community remembers those fallen in 1986 fuel explosion . 20 January 2023 . 51st Fighter Wing, USAF . 8 April 2013.
  5. Web site: Korean sightseeing boat burns, at least 25 die . . 16 June 1987 . 20 October 2024.
  6. Web site: [20220104]1988년 안양에서 발생한 그린힐참사대책보고서 이야기 . 4 January 2022 .
  7. Web site: [기록]22명의 여성노동자가 숨진 안양 '그린힐' 화재 . 2 March 2017 .
  8. Web site: 오픈아카이브 .
  9. News: Anyang Journal; in Korean Factory, a Dream is Reduced to Ashes . https://web.archive.org/web/20180130021953/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/06/world/anyang-journal-in-korean-factory-a-dream-is-reduced-to-ashes.html . 30 January 2018 . The New York Times . 6 April 1988 . Chira . Susan .
  10. News: Arson Fire Kills 16 . 27 June 2023 . LA Times . 18 October 1991.
  11. News: 54 Die in Fire at Youth Hangout in South Korea . 11 September 2021 . The New York Times . 31 October 1999.
  12. News: Paik . Kathy . Sohn . Jie-ae . Warehouse blaze claims 40 lives . 2 May 2020 . CNN .
  13. Web site: South Korean marine kills four in shooting spree . . 4 July 2011 .
  14. News: Many dead in collapse at South Korea 4Minute concert . 11 September 2021 . BBC . 17 October 2014.
  15. News: South Korea fire at public gym and sauna kills 29 . 2 May 2020 . BBC . 21 December 2020.
  16. News: 5 killed in suspected arson attack in Seoul motel . 21 January 2023 . Yonhap . Korea Herald . 20 January 2018.
  17. News: Ji-Won . Choi . Court sentences arsonist to life imprisonment over fatal bar fire . 20 January 2023 . Korea Herald . 29 November 2018.
  18. News: 9 workers killed, 4 injured in electronics factory fire . 2 May 2020 . Yonhap . Korea Herald . 21 August 2018.
  19. News: Fire kills at least 7 at dormitory-style housing in S. Korea . 11 September 2021 . Chicago Tribune . 9 November 2018.
  20. News: Daegu fire: Seven killed in suspected arson attack in South Korea . 9 June 2022 . BBC . 27 June 2023.

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