List of man-made disasters in South Korea

This is a partial list of man-made disasters in South Korea since the Korean War. It includes events that have a Wikipedia entry and other events mentioned in a reputable source.

Year Date Location Number killed Type Description Reference 1953 5 January en route from Yosu to Pusan 229 Maritime accident Sinking of ferry MV Changgyeong 1960 26 January Seoul Railroad Station 31 Stampede At least 3,926 people rush to platform on Number 601 local train, according to the South Korean National Police Agency's official confirmed report. 1969 11 December Departed from Kangnung Air Base 0 Terrorism Hijacking of South Korean domestic flight Korean Air Lines YS-11 hijacking 1970 14 October Mosan accident 46 Level crossing accident A bus carrying 77 middle school students collided with a Changhang Station-bound express train at Mosan, South Chungcheong Province, to according to the South Korean KNPA official confirmed report. Seul: 52 escolares muertos y 24 heridos al ser arrollado su autobus por un tren (Seul: 52 children killed and 24 injured when bus was struck by train), article in La Vanguardia, October 15, 1970, page 5, in La Vanguardia online archive (In Spanish).Page about the accident in ko.wikipedia 1971 28 December Seoul 164 Fire Deadliest hotel fire in South Korean history Daeyeonggak Hotel fire 1972 15 December en route from Seogwipo to Pusan 323 to 326 Maritime accident Sinking of ferry Namyoung-Ho Sinking of Namyoung-Ho 1974 3 November Seoul 64 Nightclub fire Time Club fire List of nightclub fires 1977 11 November Iksan, North Cholla 56 to 59 Explosion Accidental detonation of a munitions train Iri Station explosion 1980 15 November Kimpo International Airport 15 Aviation disaster Pilot error on landing due to bad weather Korean Air Lines Flight 015 1980 18–27 May Kwangju 187 Riots Demonstrations opposing the Coup d'état of May Seventeenth Gwangju Uprising 1982 6 February Cheju International Airport 53 Aviation accident Crashing of military plane from bad weather February 1982 Korean Air Force C-123 accident 1982 18 March Pusan 1 Arson Arson attack on U.S. target Pusan American Cultural Service building arson 1982 18 April Uiryong County 25 Fire Accidental fire in a club, fire escapes chained shut List of nightclub fires 1984 14 January Pusan 34 Fire Hotel fire 1986 5 April Osan Air Base 16 Fire Fire at a military fuel depot 1986 14 September Kimpo International Airport 5 Terrorism Bombing of airport by North Korea Gimpo International Airport bombing 1987 17 June near Koje Island 25 – 38 Fire Fire from an overheated engine and sinking Kukdong-ho Fire 1987 29 November Over the Andaman Sea 115 Terrorism Airliner destroyed by bomb planted aboard Korean Air Flight 858 1988 25 March Anyang, Kyonggi 22 Fire Fire inside of Green Hill Textile Company 1991 17 October Taegu 16 Arson Attack on a nightclub 1993 28 March Kupo station 78 Train derailment Unauthorized tunneling under causing track to collapse 1993 26 July Mokpo Airport 69 Aviation accident Pilot error leading to controlled flight into terrain Asiana Airlines Flight 733 1993 10 October offshore near Puan County 292 Maritime accident Sinking of ferry in bad weather Sinking of MV Seohae 1994 21 October Seoul 32 Structural failure Collapse of section of bridge from faulty weld Seongsu Bridge Disaster 1995 28 April Taegu 101 Explosion Construction accident leading to puncturing of gas pipe 1995 Daegu gas explosions 1995 29 June Seoul 502 Structural failure Department store collapse from structural overload Sampoong Department Store collapse 1996 17 September – 5 November Kangnung 40 Military confrontation Infiltration of North Korean spy submarine resulting in casualties to both sides 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident 1998 22 June near Sokcho 9 Military confrontation Sinking of damaged North Korean spy submarine under South Korean navy control 1998 Sokcho submarine incident 1999 30 June Hwasung 23 Fire Fire at children's summer camp dormitory Sealand Youth Training Center Fire 1999 30 October Inchon 54 to 65 Fire Fire at illegal bar for underage drinkers 2002 15 April near Busan 129 Aviation accident Pilot error leading to controlled flight into terrain Air China Flight 129 2003 18 February Daegu 192 Arson Suicide attack by setting fire to a subway train Daegu subway fire 2008 10 February Seoul 0 Arson Arson to historic Namdaemun gate 2008 Namdaemun fire 2008 20 October Seoul 6 Mass murder Arson and stabbing attack Nonhyeon-dong massacre 2008 7 January Icheon 40 Fire Fire in warehouse under construction 2008 Icheon fire 2010 26 March offshore near Baengnyeongdo 46 Military confrontation North Korean attack ROKS Cheonan sinking 2011 28 July crashed near Jeju Island 2 Aviation accident Crash resulting from fire in aircraft's cargo Asiana Airlines Flight 991 2014 16 April en route from Incheon to Jeju Island 304 Maritime accident Sinking of ferry from crew error and overloading Sinking of MV Sewol 2014 2 May Seoul 0 Subway accident Rear-end collision 2014 Seoul subway crash 2014 17 October Seongnam 16 Structural failure Ventilation grate collapse at K-pop concert 2015 6 September offshore near Chuja 18 Maritime accident Fishing boat lost in heavy seas Sinking of Dolgorae 2017 21 December Jecheon 29 Fire Electrical fire in a gym Jecheon building fire 2018 20 January Miryang 5 Fire Arson attack on a hotel 2018 26 January Miryang 41 Fire Unknown cause; lack of sprinklers Miryang hospital fire 2018 June Gunsan 5 Fire Arson 2018 19 August Incheon 9 Fire Fire in an electronics factory 2018 9 November Seoul 7 Fire Fire caused by electric stove overheating 2020 29 April Icheon 39 Fire Fire in a warehouse under construction 2020 Icheon fire 2021 9 June Gwangju 9 Structural Failure Construction error during demolition 2021 Gwangju building collapse 2022 9 June Daegu 7 Arson Attack on a law office 2022 29 October Seoul 159 Crowd crush Crushing the crowd during Halloween festival Seoul Halloween crowd crush 2024 24 June Hwaseong, Gyeonggi 22 Fire Accidental explosion in the warehouse of a lithium battery factory Aricell battery factory fire 2024 1 July Central Seoul 9 Automobile crash Elderly driver reversed into a busy crosswalk. 2024 Seoul car crash202429 DecemberMuan, South Jeolla179Aviation accidentBird strike leading to an emergency landing that overshot the runway at Muan International Airport and crashed into a barrier. Jeju Air Flight 2216

See also List of disasters in South Korea by death toll

References