[Photo] Jecheon fire leads to new rules for vehicles that block emergency vehicles

On Jan. 7, the Fire Department announced that any vehicles which block the response of emergency vehicles would be forcibly removed. Drivers would also no longer be eligible for compensation for damage sustained to their vehicles. The rule changes came as a result of last month’s fire in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province in which 29 people were killed at a multi-use building. At the time, there were about 20 illegally parked vehicles which blocked access for emergency responders, delaying passage of firefighting equipment.