An explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's plant in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, killed five people and injured two on Saturday.
According to fire authorities, around 30 reports of an explosion at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon plant in Oesam-dong, Yuseong-gu, were received at 10:59 a.m. The number of reports later rose to more than 40. Most of the calls described "hearing an explosion sound" or "heavy smoke."
Fire authorities said five people have been confirmed dead so far, while two others were transported to hospitals with serious or minor injuries. One person reportedly evacuated on their own.
The fire department issued a Level 1 emergency response at 11:17 a.m. and deployed 85 personnel and 25 pieces of equipment, including fire trucks, to the scene to extinguish the fire. The initial knockdown was completed in about 50 minutes.
Police and fire authorities presume the incident was an explosion related to a propulsion device. They plan to investigate the exact circumstances and cause once the fire is fully extinguished.
The Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon plant is responsible for producing large propulsion systems and tactical weapons. The site has a history of accidents: in May 2018, an explosion killed two workers at the scene, with three others who were receiving treatment also passing away. In February 2019, another explosion at a propulsion device demolding facility killed three workers.
President Lee Jae-myung, after being briefed on the accident, ordered officials to "mobilize all available resources to respond to rescue operations and accident management." Prime Minister Kim Min-seok urged the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Fire Agency, the National Police Agency, and the Daejeon city government to do their best in life-saving operations. He also asked relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Korea AeroSpace Administration, and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, to provide necessary personnel and equipment. Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung also issued emergency directives to the National Fire Agency, the National Police Agency, the Daejeon city government, and the Yuseong-gu district office.
In response to the accident, political circles ahead of the nationwide local elections successively called for calm campaign activities. Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae issued an urgent directive to candidates and campaign offices nationwide to refrain from using campaign theme songs and choreographed dances. Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, announced he would suspend his campaign rallies upon hearing news of the accident. People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk also urged candidates to refrain from using campaign songs and dances and to conduct subdued campaign activities.
