President Lee Vows Vigilance and Comprehensive Measures in Response to Coupang Logistics Center Fire in Incheon

"National Fire Mobilization Order Issued, Full Efforts for Extinguishment"
"Principle of Proactive Prevention Over After-the-Fact Response, Disaster Management System to Be Improved"
"Protecting the Lives of the People Is the Fundamental Reason for

President Lee Jae-myung stated on July 18 that, regarding the large fire at the Coupang logistics center in Incheon, "We will maintain a heightened state of alert and respond thoroughly until the blaze is fully extinguished and the situation is stabilized." Following a series of fires at large logistics facilities, including a recent fire at a logistics warehouse in Gyeonggi Province, the government has decided to review the entire safety management system of such facilities and to prepare comprehensive measures to prevent recurrence.

President Lee Jae-myung is seen asking questions to heads of attending agencies during a ministry work report held at the Blue House State Guesthouse on July 16, 2026. Photo by Blue House Press Photographers Group, Yonhap News Agency

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) that day, President Lee said, "The government has issued a National Fire Service Mobilization Order and is mobilizing all available resources to focus on extinguishing the fire." He added, "I express my deep gratitude to the firefighters working tirelessly day and night at the scene," and urged, "Residents in the vicinity should pay close attention to safety and follow the guidance from the central and local governments."

The fire, which began at approximately 6:54 a.m. on the sixth floor of the Coupang 32 Logistics Center in Seoknam-dong, Seohae District, Incheon, spread up the outer walls of the building to the seventh floor. It has been reported that 121 people, including logistics center employees, evacuated on their own. As the large quantities of flammable materials such as household goods stored inside the logistics center made extinguishing the fire difficult, the National Fire Agency issued a National Fire Service Mobilization Order in the afternoon.

President Lee said, "We will thoroughly investigate the cause of this fire and examine the overall safety management systems of large logistics facilities to establish effective comprehensive measures that prevent similar incidents from recurring." He also called on companies and on-site personnel to "make even greater efforts to ensure that not only the inspection and maintenance of fire protection equipment, but also workplace safety rules, are strictly observed on site."

At around 6:54 a.m. on the 18th, a fire broke out on the 6th floor of the Coupang logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohae District, Incheon, and smoke continued to rise until the afternoon of that day. July 18, 2026, Yonhap News Agency

President Lee also referenced the recent series of disasters—including heat waves, heavy downpours, and large-scale fires—emphasizing the need for fundamental improvement of the disaster management system. He said, "The scale and nature of disasters are becoming increasingly complex," and pledged, "We will enhance the disaster management system, prioritizing proactive prevention and swift response over post-disaster recovery for all types of disasters." He reiterated, "I will never forget that the fundamental reason for the existence of the nation is to protect the lives and safety of its people."

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