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String of accidents in Busan over holiday break leaves several dead or injured

Published: 08 Oct. 2025, 15:09

A fire broke out around 1:20 a.m. on Oct. 7 at a karaoke room on the second floor of a building in Dongsam-dong, Yeongdo District, Busan, killing one person and injuring six others. [BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE PRECINCT]

A string of accidents and fires occurred across Busan during the extended Chuseok holiday, leaving several people dead and injured, according to city officials.

A fire broke out at around 1:20 a.m. on Tuesday in a karaoke room on the second floor of a building in Yeongdo District, Busan, according to the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters.

One person died and six others were injured from inhaling smoke. Authorities said the fatality is believed to be a man in his 60s who owned the karaoke business.

Firefighters evacuated about 30 people, including karaoke patrons and residents of a nearby dormitory-style accommodation. The blaze was fully extinguished around 4:20 a.m.

Fire and police officials plan to conduct a joint inspection to determine the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage.

A man in his 70s riding an electric bicycle was killed after being hit by a truck at an intersection in Mandeok-dong, Buk District, Busan, around 11:13 a.m. on Oct. 4. [BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE PRECINCT]

In a separate incident, a man in his 70s was killed after being struck by a truck while returning home from grocery shopping for Chuseok.

The crash occurred at 11:13 a.m. on Saturday in Mandeok-dong, Buk District, Busan. A 2.5-ton truck traveling in the second lane collided with the man’s electric bicycle at an intersection. He was taken to a hospital but later died.

The cardboard box on the back of his bicycle was filled with food for the holiday.

"The man appeared to have been on his way home after shopping for food for his family," a police official said.

Investigators said the cyclist changed lanes from the third to the second lane just before the collision. The truck driver told police they did not see the bicycle as it moved into the lane.

Police are reviewing dashboard camera footage to confirm the exact circumstances of the incident.

A drunk driver crashed into a taxi after driving in the wrong lane around 10:09 p.m. on Oct. 3 on a three-lane road in Deokcheon-dong, Buk District, Busan, injuring the taxi driver and a passenger. [BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE PRECINCT]

On Friday night, another accident involving drunk driving took place in Busan’s Buk District. At around 10:09 p.m., a Kia K8 sedan crossed the centerline in Deokcheon-dong and collided head-on with an oncoming taxi.

The taxi driver, in their 60s, and a passenger were injured and taken to a hospital. Police later found that the driver of the K8, in their 30s, had a blood-alcohol level exceeding 0.08 percent, the threshold for license revocation.

Police said they booked the driver for violating the Road Traffic Act and are reviewing video evidence to determine the cause of the crash.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE EUN-JI [[email protected]]