[비즈한국] As of 10:30 a.m. today, flames at the Coupang 32 Logistics Center in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, have yet to be contained. The fire has been burning for over 27 hours since it first broke out on the 6th floor of the center at 6:54 a.m. on the 18th. Fortunately, it has been confirmed that all personnel inside the building evacuated, resulting in no civilian casualties.
The Incheon Coupang 32 Logistics Center is a large-scale logistics hub with a total floor area of 299,000㎡ (approximately 90,000 pyeong) and 8 stories above ground. The complex, completed in 2023 by global private equity firms such as KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts), has been operated by Coupang as an ambient temperature logistics center since January 2025, with Coupang leasing about 85% of the total space. It primarily serves as a hub for the capital region's "Rocket Delivery," handling lightweight household goods.
The reason tensions are running high regarding this fire is that the SK Incheon Petrochem complex, a large-scale oil refining and chemical facility, is located nearby. The logistics center site itself was developed on idle land previously owned by SK Incheon Petrochem, and the two facilities are virtually separated by only a fence.
It is understood that firefighting authorities have opted for a defensive strategy, establishing a line to prevent the spread of fire, based on the judgment that if flames or embers spread to the neighboring petrochemical facilities or the LPG filling station, it could lead to a massive disaster.
As the risk of structural collapse has increased due to the prolonged fire, authorities withdrew personnel from the site and chose a strategy of containment—letting the internal cargo burn out completely—while establishing a perimeter to prevent the flames from spreading to the external petrochemical facilities.
This situation is similar to the fire at the Coupang Deokpyeong Logistics Center in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, in 2021. At that time, due to collapse risks and the massive amount of combustible materials, firefighters were withdrawn and defensive operations were employed, ultimately taking about 130 hours (approximately 6 days) to fully extinguish the blaze.
The Icheon fire caused 300 to 400 billion won in property damage, including the building's value and the loss of internal goods, and resulted in the line-of-duty death of one firefighter. The high heat sustained for six days caused the steel frame structure to buckle like taffy, rendering the building unstable and eventually leading to its full demolition.
There is significant concern that the fire at the Incheon Coupang 32 Logistics Center will also be a protracted battle as the densely packed cargo acts as fuel. Jeon Jae-in, head of the 119 Disaster Response Division at the Incheon Seo-bu Fire Station, explained during a field briefing, "Goods are stacked densely in 3-tier shelves 10 meters high, and because the area is so large, we are facing difficulties in suppression despite deploying firefighting robots." He added, "We are focusing on blocking the fire from reaching the lower floors, and while we believe there is no possibility of it spreading to the 5th floor, we expect it to take a long time to fully extinguish."
The prolonged battle has also taken a toll on the firefighting personnel on site. One firefighter in his 40s was taken to the hospital after inhaling smoke while fighting the fire on the 18th, and around 10:20 p.m., another firefighter who was managing on-site safety was urgently transported to a nearby hospital due to severe exhaustion. So far, two firefighters have been recorded as injured or requiring treatment due to smoke inhalation and exhaustion during the suppression operation.
Currently, the fire, which started on the 6th floor, has reportedly spread up the exterior wall to the 7th floor. Fire authorities issued a national mobilization order, the highest response level, on the 18th, and are currently fighting an all-out battle by deploying a large number of special equipment, such as aerial ladder trucks and high-performance chemical fire trucks, along with personnel from five cities and provinces, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Chungbuk, Chungnam, and Gangwon.