Smoke control equipment at almost 27 percent of the 556 subway stations checked nationwide in the wake of this week's fatal subway fire in South Korea do not meet nonbinding government safety standards, transport ministry officials said Thursday.
Smoke control problems were found at 149 of the stations, and 99 stations do not have acceptable evacuation routes, they said.
The officials of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry said fire-prevention measures of 11 subway operators were checked to see if their stations meet standards outlined in 1975. More than half of the operators have shortcomings.