Five workers were killed in an explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's (012450.KS) Daejeon plant while cleaning tools used in rocket propellant manufacturing. With eight workers having died in explosions at the same site in 2018 and 2019, the death toll at the facility has reached 13 over the past eight years. Labor authorities and police have launched investigations to determine whether the Serious Accidents Punishment Act was violated and to identify those responsible for safety management.
According to fire authorities on Wednesday, the explosion occurred at around 10:59 a.m. in the cleaning room of Building 56 at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon plant in Oesam-dong, Yuseong-gu, killing five and leaving two with serious or minor injuries. All of the deceased were identified as on-site workers from the production team rather than researchers. Two of them were contract employees in their late 20s who had been with the company for less than two years, while the others included two workers in their 50s and one in their 30s. Because the bodies were severely damaged by the force of the blast, fire authorities have requested forensic analysis from the National Forensic Service to confirm the victims' identities.
One of the injured was transported to a hospital with full-body burns and is receiving treatment, while the other suffered minor burns to the neck and was discharged after treatment. Immediately after the accident, fire authorities received more than 30 emergency calls reporting "an explosion sound" and "heavy smoke." At 11:17 a.m., authorities issued a Level 1 response, deploying 121 personnel and 32 pieces of equipment to fight the fire. Initial suppression was completed around 11:49 a.m., and the fire was fully extinguished by 1:07 p.m. Building 56, where the explosion occurred, was completely destroyed.
The explosion is presumed to have occurred while tools used in the rocket propellant manufacturing process were being cleaned with water and detergent. Hanwha said the accident did not occur during the cleaning of completed rocket propellants, but rather during the process of wiping off explosive residue from tools used in propellant manufacturing. The company said it had considered the cleaning process to be a relatively low-risk operation because the explosive component is neutralized upon contact with water.
However, the fact that the workplace where the accident occurred was not subject to direct inspection by fire authorities is likely to become a point of controversy. According to fire authorities, the plant underwent fire safety inspections once last year and once this year. At the time, fire authorities directly inspected the main building and pointed out areas for improvement, but individual buildings were subject to self-inspection by Hanwha. Fire authorities explained that buildings under a certain size are eligible for self-inspection, and there is no obligation to separately report inspection results to the fire department. However, critics argue that direct inspection was necessary given that processes involving hazardous materials are conducted at a key national facility.
Questions have also been raised about worker protective equipment. Hanwha said it had provided flame-resistant clothing, but withheld specific answers regarding whether it was actually worn and the performance of the clothing, citing internal security reasons. Work orders and detailed process information were also not disclosed for the same reason.
Hanwha Group and Hanwha Aerospace issued a statement on Wednesday apologizing for the accident. Hanwha Group Chairman Seung-youn Kim instructed the company to "show the utmost respect to the employees who lost their lives and to swiftly and sincerely carry out recovery efforts," urging the entire group to mobilize all its resources for accident response.
The government's response, including efforts to determine the cause, is also moving quickly. The Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched an investigation with a special team of about 20 personnel, and the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency has also formed a special investigation team to look into the cause of the explosion, the state of on-site safety management, and where responsibility lies. In addition, the government plans to conduct a joint inspection with relevant agencies on Thursday to determine the cause of the accident. President Lee Jae-myung, after being briefed on the accident, ordered authorities to "mobilize all available resources for life-saving and accident response."
Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon plant is considered a core facility in Korea's defense industry, responsible for producing large propulsion systems and tactical weapons. However, five workers died in an explosion at the site in May 2018, and three more were killed in February 2019 in a propellant demolding room explosion. Including the latest accident, the number of workers killed in explosions at the same site over the past eight years has reached 13.
