Under the current Act, the fire safety standards for the installation of fire-fighting systems, etc., have continuously been strengthened; however, fire accidents which caused large-scale damage such as the recent ones in Jecheon and Miryang happened mostly in buildings that have not been compliant with the strengthened standards.

In response, this Act aims to strengthen autonomous safety control capacity regarding fire-fighting objects by modifying fire safety-related systems through improvement of special inspections and introduction of fire safety impact assessment, etc., and by raising the standards for imposing penalties in serious violations of this Act.

Details

A. Where the head of a central administration agency enacts or amends the Acts and Statutues directly or indirectly related to fires, require the Minister of Public Safety and Security to conduct a fire safety impact assessment (Article 2-4, newly inserted).

B. Establish a fire safety policy committee under the Minister of Public Safety and Security to deliberate on and coordinate matters regarding the operation and improvement, etc., of the fire safety impact assessment system (Article 2-5, newly inserted).

C. Divide special inspections for fire safety into two types: close and random; and conduct them separately (Article 4-3, newly inserted).

D. Allow the Minister of Public Safety and Security, etc., to disclose to the public information regarding the fire safety of specific fire-fighting objects as a result of conducting special inspections through the internet, etc.,(Article 5-2, newly inserted).

E. Allow the head of a fire defense headquarters, etc., to review whether a building plan meets the standards for escape systems and fire-fighting systems, etc., and notify the relevant administrative agencies of the result thereof (Article 7 (3)).

F. Provide a legal basis for requiring the installation of fire extinguishers in motor vehicles (Article 8-2, newly inserted)

G. Strengthen the qualifications for the supervisor of a person entrusted with fire safety control affairs (Article 20 (3)).

H. Provide the grounds for the issuance and re-issuance of a fire safety controller pocketbook and for test fees (Article 24-2, newly inserted).

I. Where a management business operator discovers a violation of the Acts or Statutes following a self-inspection of fire-fighting facilities, etc., require him/her to demand that an interested person take necessary corrective measures, and for material violations, immediately report such fact to the head of a fire defense headquarters or the head of a fire station

Prohibit an interested person who has received a demand to take corrective measures from treating the management business operator unfavorably (Article 25 (2) and (3)).

J. Consider to be public officials experts and members of a central team for special inspections participating in the Fire-Fighting Technology Deliberative Committee who are not public officials where penalties are applied to them (Article 45-2).

K. Tighten the penalty standards regarding a person who damages, alters, etc., an escape system and/or a fire-fighting system (Article 49 (1)-2, etc.)

The head of a central administrative agency who enacts or amends an Act related directly or indirectly to fire prescribed under Presidential Decree shall make a request to the Minister of Public Safety and Security to assess the factors inducing fire hazards and measures for lessening fire hazards in accordance with the enactment or amendment of such Act (hereinafter referred to as “fire safety impact assessment”) (Article 2-4).

A person who intends to manufacture, assemble or import a motor vehicle falling under any item in Article 3 (1) of the Motor Vehicle Management Act or a person who owns, etc., such a motor vehicle shall install a fire extinguisher in his/her vehicle according to a public notice about the standards for installing fire extinguishers prescribed by the Minister of Public Safety and Security (Article 8-2).