The fire at a pension in Damyang, South Jeolla Province, on Nov. 15 that claimed four lives and injured six others, including one who is in critical condition, is a stark reminder of how, despite the tragedy of the Sewol ferry disaster, Korea has yet to make safety a priority.

Firefighters found four bodies close to the only exit of the barbecue hut that burned down at the pension, the victims having succumbed to asphyxiation. Witnesses said there were no fire extinguishers in the building and one fetched from a nearby building failed to function after 30 seconds or so. According to the authorities, three of the nine fire extinguishers found at the pension were more than 10 years old.

Each day since the fire, new revelations have pointed to illegal operations with virtually no oversight by the authorities. Part of the unlicensed barbecue shelter sat on state-owned land. Apparently, the pension was using 270 square meters of state land without permission from the authorities. The investigators also discovered four additional unlicensed buildings on the premises.

The barbecue area featured a wooden floor and walls made with highly inflammable sandwich panels. The roof was thatched, and it is thought that sparks from the barbecue jumped to the ceiling, which quickly caught fire.

The Damyang authorities have conducted two hygiene checks since the opening of the pension in 2005, although such checks are required twice a year. In addition, the authorities were unaware that the pension was using state land and also unaware of the existence of the unlicensed buildings.

The National Assembly this week inaugurated a special committee on public safety. The committee, to run through April next year, is charged with amending safety laws to close loopholes and with improving the government’s various safety manuals. The committee will also seek to discover day-to-day safety risks and come up with measures to address them.

Yet, what good are laws and regulations if they are not abided by and if there is no strict enforcement? The new agency for public safety, created following the Sewol disaster, has its work cut out for it. It must waste no time in getting to work to ensure greater public safety.