South Korean political leaders rushed to Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon plant on Sunday after an explosion at the facility caused casualties.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok was briefed on the incident and traveled urgently to the Hanwha Aerospace site in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung and Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon accompanied him on the visit.
At the on-site command headquarters, Kim received briefings on the sequence of events and casualty status, asking the head of Daejeon Yuseong Fire Station about the cause of the accident and the identities of the victims. He then instructed the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Employment and Labor to "thoroughly analyze this accident, clearly identify the cause, and swiftly pursue necessary improvement measures to prevent similar accidents from recurring," adding, "Please take good care of the bereaved families together with local governments so that they face no difficulties."
Both ruling and opposition parties also visited the site two days ahead of the June 3 local elections. Jung Chung-rae, chief standing election campaign committee chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized the need for full support for victims and recurrence-prevention measures. After touring the accident site, Jung told reporters, "A major catastrophe that should never have happened has occurred, and I cannot contain my devastation. I pray for the souls of those who passed away in the explosion and offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families."
He continued, "Given that this is a workplace handling hazardous materials, every measure should have been taken to ensure safety, yet such a major disaster has occurred, which is truly heartbreaking. I urged Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon, who was on site with me, to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause and take stern measures." He added, "I'm told this is not the first such accident. I asked Hanwha to cooperate with the bereaved families and the injured as sincerely as possible and to the fullest extent of what they need."
Jang Dong-hyuk, standing election campaign committee chair of the People Power Party, also visited the accident site the same day and criticized President Lee Jae-myung, saying, "It is time for the president to be where he should be and do what he must do." After receiving a briefing on the accident, Jang told reporters, "Even at the moment when today's accident occurred and precious lives were being lost, President Lee was absorbed in reading stock market analysis articles and berating media outlets."
He continued, "When the Seosomun overpass accident happened recently as well, he was throwing a sashimi party at Busan's Jagalchi Market. It is deeply disappointing and devastating. I hope he reflects on what is more important now and what he has said is more important all along, and returns to being a president who looks after the people's lives, safety, and livelihoods."
Meanwhile, immediately after the accident, President Lee ordered the mobilization of all available resources to rescue victims and respond to the incident.
