A fire broke out at the live fish building of the Jeonju Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market, located in Songcheon-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, at around 11:13 p.m. on the 9th. Fire authorities have issued a 'Response Stage 2' alert and are making all-out efforts to extinguish the blaze.

Thick black smoke and intense flames surged from the scene. Sixteen minutes after the fire started, at 11:29 p.m., the North Jeolla Provincial Fire and Headquarters issued a 'Response Stage 2,' mobilizing personnel and equipment from five to six nearby fire stations. Taking into account the possibility of the fire spreading to surrounding areas, fire authorities deployed approximately 120 personnel, including 119 firefighting teams and police, along with around 50 pieces of firefighting equipment, including water trucks, to the scene. As of 12:30 a.m. on the 10th, the containment rate was estimated to have reached approximately 80%.

The city of Jeonju sent safety alert text messages to nearby residents advising them to be cautious of smoke inhalation, and no casualties have been reported from this fire so far. Fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of ignition and the extent of damage as soon as firefighting operations are fully completed.

Meanwhile, the Jeonju Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market, where the fire occurred, opened in 1993. Spanning approximately 59,000 square meters in the Songcheon-dong 2-ga area, it houses a dense concentration of various facilities, including auction halls and sales floors for fruits, vegetables, marine products, live fish, and dried seafood, as well as storage and processing facilities. With around 90 shops in operation, the site has been identified as an area where a delayed initial response in the event of a fire poses a significant risk of the blaze spreading easily to adjacent facilities. In particular, it is a location where the importance of regular inspections of electrical and gas facilities, as well as rapid evacuation and firefighting response in the event of a fire, has been continuously emphasized.