10 Foreign Tourists Sustain Injuries After Fire at Capsule Hotel in Central Seoul; Reports Suggest Evacuation Hindered by Clutter

By Kazusa Yoda Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

11:51 JST, March 15, 2026

SEOUL — Nine of 10 foreign guests sustained injuries after a capsule hotel in central Seoul caught fire on Saturday evening, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Among them, a Japanese woman was in serious condition.

The capsule hotel, an affordable accommodation facility where each guest occupies a bed-sized pod, is located near Myeong-dong, a neighborhood popular among Japanese and other tourists.

The fire broke out at about 6:10 p.m.

Yonhap News Agency reported that many objects were found in the hotel’s corridors, suggesting that it may have been difficult to evacuate.