Fifty-nine people, including hotel guests and staff, showed symptoms of nausea and vomiting following a chlorine gas leak at Grand Josun Jeju, a five-star hotel in Seogwipo, Jeju, operated by Josun Hotels & Resorts.

According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and fire authorities, the incident occurred today (October 1) during the cleaning of the swimming pool on the first floor. Chlorine gas was generated after disinfectant chemicals were mixed improperly, and the odor reportedly spread throughout all floors of the hotel.

The accident resulted in 59 people—including guests, employees, and pool users—exhibiting minor symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and headaches.

Related agencies, including the Navy and Jeju health authorities, were dispatched to the scene to set up a temporary medical station and deploy emergency buses.

A guest identified as Park, who was using the hotel sauna with family at the time, reported experiencing repeated vomiting and coughing after inhaling a strong odor, adding that a 3-year-old child and other nearby guests experienced similar symptoms.

Park said, "Tears and mucus were streaming down, and my baby vomited three times," adding, "Guests called 119, and we were transported to nearby hospitals such as Seogwipo Medical Center via dispatched ambulances."

Claims were also raised that the hotel's initial response was inadequate.

Park claimed, "Even though the situation was serious, the hotel gave no evacuation instructions and took no action," and added, "Hotel staff were wearing masks, but masks were not distributed to the guests."

Park also stated that after notifying the hotel lobby of the situation, the only response received was that they would look into the matter.

An official from Josun Hotels & Resorts explained, "At the time of the accident, we made announcements and visited guest rooms to guide evacuations, but it appears that customers in restrooms or the sauna may not have heard the announcements." The official added, "We tried to provide masks in a timely manner, but the scene was very chaotic, so some customers may have been missed."

The official further stated, "We are checking the gas concentration levels together with fire authorities and will prepare measures to minimize customer inconvenience."

(Photo: Provided by whistleblower, Yonhap News)