Police have assembled a 64-member dedicated investigation team to question witnesses and conduct on-site forensic examinations following an explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon plant that killed five workers and injured two. Two of the five workers killed in the accident were confirmed to be contract employees in their 20s who joined the company this year.
Daejeon's Yuseong-gu, police, fire authorities and Hanwha Aerospace held a joint media briefing at the Yuseong-gu office around 4 p.m. Tuesday to disclose the progress of accident response and investigation. The briefing was attended by Park Mun-yong, acting head of Yuseong-gu, Kim Ki-sun, chief of the Yuseong Fire Station, and Ka Jae-woong, head of Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon plant.
Police said they have formed a dedicated investigation team and launched a probe to determine the cause of the accident. "Given the gravity of the matter, we began the investigation the previous day," said Lee Young-do, chief of the Yuseong Police Station. "We are conducting witness interviews with the injured and company officials." He added that DNA test results for unidentified victims are expected to be available as early as Wednesday morning.
Fire authorities explained the facility's status and initial response at Building 56, where the accident occurred. "Building 56, where the accident occurred, has a total floor area of 243 square meters," said Kim Ki-sun, chief of the Yuseong Fire Station. "It was not subject to mandatory sprinkler installation." He added, "A single large 20-kilogram fire extinguisher was placed at the site," noting that "we are currently investigating the exact ignition point and cause of the explosion through joint forensic examination with relevant agencies."
Explanations regarding the identities of the deceased were also provided at the briefing. Hanwha Aerospace said two of the five deceased were contract employees in their 20s who joined the company in February. The remaining victims were reportedly a site supervisor with nearly 20 years of service and skilled workers with extensive experience handling explosives.
Questions also arose about the causes of recurring accidents and safety management issues. "We are closely reviewing whether there were areas requiring improvement in existing work methods and practices," said Ka Jae-woong, head of Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon plant. "We will expand the introduction of automation and remote operation technologies to minimize processes in which workers directly handle hazardous materials."
The Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon plant has been subject to large-scale special inspections following past explosion accidents. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, special inspections conducted after the consecutive explosion accidents in 2018 and 2019 uncovered a total of 568 violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act at Hanwha and its subcontractors. Of these, 179 cases were referred for criminal prosecution, and approximately 380 million won in fines was imposed.
At the time, the labor ministry pointed out that the plant's overall safety and health management system was inadequate, with problems in worker safety training, hazardous material management and Process Safety Management (PSM) implementation. Following the 2018 accident, the plant's PSM rating was downgraded to the lowest "M-" grade, and another explosion occurred at the same site the following year in 2019, the investigation found.
Meanwhile, Yuseong-gu activated a disaster and safety countermeasures headquarters immediately after the accident and plans to strengthen its support system for victims' families. A dedicated team for bereaved families and a disaster victim support center are currently in operation, with one-on-one dedicated officials assigned. "What bereaved families want to know most is the cause of the accident," said Park Mun-yong, acting head of Yuseong-gu. "We will communicate frequently and ensure that necessary support is provided swiftly."
