The disaster occurred shortly before dawn on 3 November 1974, when a fire broke out on the sixth floor of the Daewang Corner building in the eastern part of downtown Seoul. Smoke and flames rapidly spread through the structure, trapping many occupants in the Time Go‑Go night club and adjoining hotel rooms. Locked or poorly accessible exits and the extensive presence of flammable materials contributed to the high number of casualties. Official reports at the time variably cited initial death tolls of around 78 and later confirmed that at least 88 people were killed, with dozens more injured, most of them inside the club when the fire took hold. Numerous victims died from smoke inhalation or by attempting to escape through windows, with some plunging from upper storeys in desperation. Investigations identified fire safety violations and failures to enforce existing regulations as key factors that exacerbated the loss of life. The event remains one of the worst nightclub‑related fires in South Korean history.