Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-uk visits the fire-damaged Bangeojin Live Fish Center in Dong-gu, Ulsan, on Monday to inspect the affected facility and offer words of comfort to merchants. [Provided by Ulsan City]
Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-uk visits the fire-damaged Bangeojin Live Fish Center in Dong-gu, Ulsan, on Monday to inspect the affected facility and offer words of comfort to merchants. [Provided by Ulsan City]

Ulsan's Dong-gu district office has launched a support effort to help merchants affected by the Aug. 22 fire at the Bangeojin Live Fish Center return to their livelihoods as quickly as possible.

Dong-gu held a second emergency response meeting Monday to map out its recovery plan, deciding to begin safety inspections and damage assessments of the facility as soon as police and fire department investigators wrap up their probe of the scene.

If the safety inspection finds the structure unusable, the district will demolish it and set up temporary sales facilities to help merchants ahead of the Chuseok holiday rush. The district will also waive facility-use fees during the closure period, defer utility bill payments, provide fiscal and financial support, and extend coverage through district-held insurance policies.

Dong-gu District Chief Cheon Gi-ok said the office would mobilize all available administrative resources to help affected merchants return to work as soon as possible before the Chuseok holiday.

The Bangeojin Live Fish Center was built in December 2020 on the site of the original fish center as part of a marine and fisheries complex development project. The single-story building has a total floor area of 1,300 square meters.

With 57 businesses currently operating at the center, a fire of unknown cause broke out at around 10:43 p.m. Saturday and burned through most of the stalls before being extinguished about an hour and a half later. No injuries were reported, as the merchants had already closed for the night.


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