Inferno at Coupang: Massive South Korea Warehouse Fire Rages for Over 52 Hours

INCHEON, South Korea — A relentless fire at a massive Coupang e-commerce logistics center has continued to burn for more than 52 hours, prompting emergency evacuations of nearby businesses and residential blocks amid rising fears that the multi-story structure could partially collapse.

The disaster has triggered a nationwide firefighting mobilization order as authorities struggle to contain the inferno.

The blaze erupted at approximately 6:54 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2026, on the sixth floor of Coupang’s No. 32 fulfillment center located in the Seohae District of Incheon, west of Seoul. The flames quickly tore through the exterior walls and breached the seventh floor, rapidly fueled by the sheer volume of flammable materials stored inside.

As one of Coupang's largest mega-hubs, the eight-story Incheon facility spans 299,000 square meters—roughly equivalent to 42 football pitches. The massive structure houses thousands of tons of "Rocket Delivery" goods, including household cosmetics, paper boxes, vinyl packaging, and plastics that fuel toxic, thick black smoke.

The facility is more than twice the size of Coupang's Deokpyeong logistics center, which was entirely destroyed in a infamous 2021 fire.

Fortunately, all 121 workers who were inside the building when the alarms sounded managed to evacuate safely. However, the battle against the flames has taken a toll on emergency responders; two firefighters have been treated for injuries, including smoke inhalation and severe exhaustion.

By Sunday night, structural engineers warned that the intense heat had heavily compromised the building's core stability. In response, Seohae District officials issued an emergency evacuation order at 11:00 PM for all shops, factories, and residences within a 116-meter radius of the warehouse's ramp area.

With acrid smoke blanketing neighborhoods up to two kilometers away, a local elementary school was forced to shut down and 31 area daycare centers suspended operations. Furthermore, firefighters have been heavily focused on reinforcing a perimeter across a 10-lane highway to prevent the flames from leaping toward a nearby petrochemical plant and a local gas station.

Industry analysts estimate that Coupang’s losses could skyrocket into the hundreds of millions of dollars (several hundred billion won), taking into account the total loss of the building, destroyed inventory, and massive supply chain disruptions. Widespread delivery delays are expected across Incheon and western Seoul.

Jeong Jong-cheol, CEO of Coupang Fulfillment Services, issued an official apology and stated that the e-commerce giant is fully cooperating with the National Fire Agency. The company has begun distributing compensation coupons to affected customers and emergency relief supplies to displaced neighbors.

As of Monday morning, heavy rain in the region has aided containment efforts, but smoke continues to billow from the charred complex. A joint investigation by fire authorities, the police, and the National Forensic Service will commence as soon as the area is deemed structurally safe to enter.