5 killed in explosion at Hanwha Aerospace facility in Daejeon

Five people were killed and two others injured in an explosion and fire at a Hanwha Aerospace facility in Daejeon on Monday, triggering a nationwide response from government agencies, political parties and the company.

According to the Daejeon Fire Headquarters, firefighters fully extinguished the fire at around 1:07 p.m., just over two hours after the incident was first reported. Authorities have completed search operations and are reviewing further measures.

Authorities said the explosion occurred in an empty washing room at Hanwha Aerospace’s Daejeon facility during a cleaning operation involving explosive materials.

"The fire is suspected to have broken out while workers were removing explosive materials from equipment and washing tools used in the manufacture of propulsion systems," Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il said during the briefing on the accident.

The Daejeon facility is a key production site for South Korea's leading defense contractor, producing a range of missile systems and rocket propulsion technologies, including long-range surface-to-air guided missiles, multiple launch rocket systems and air-to-ground guided missiles.

Remains of the five victims were found inside the facility. The two injured workers, one in critical condition and the other with minor injuries, escaped on their own after the explosion.

The fire broke out at around 10:59 a.m. Emergency services received about 30 reports from callers who said they heard a loud explosion and saw smoke rising from the facility.

Fire authorities dispatched 25 pieces of equipment and 85 firefighters to the scene. A Level 1 response was issued at 11:17 a.m. The elevated alert status activates an incident command system and mobilizes additional fire engines, ambulances, rescue teams and interagency coordination.

"The facility has been almost completely destroyed by the fire. Due to concerns over structural safety, authorities will determine whether debris removal can proceed after conducting a safety assessment," a fire official said.

"The victims' bodies were severely damaged, making immediate identification difficult. Police have requested assistance from the National Forensic Service to confirm their identities."

President Lee Jae Myung was briefed on the accident and ordered a thorough investigation into its cause and measures to prevent a recurrence.

Lee also instructed officials to “mobilize all available resources” for rescue operations and response efforts.

While relevant government agencies formed a joint response system to deal with the accident, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon visited the accident site and discussed response measures with officials.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor, which oversees workplace safety, vowed to conduct a swift inspection and investigation to determine the underlying causes of the accident.

"We will make every effort to ensure the swift and accurate handling of the accident and to prevent any secondary incidents," Kim Young-hoon said.

Hanwha Group issued an official statement apologizing for the accident and vowed to make every effort to support victims in the aftermath of the tragedy.

CEO Son also visited the accident site to oversee recovery and response efforts after convening an emergency meeting in Seoul shortly after the incident.

"No words can adequately comfort the pain of those who have lost their loved ones, which makes us feel even more sorry and devastated," Son said during a briefing at the site. "We will provide all necessary support to the bereaved families and take full responsibility for the treatment and recovery of those who were injured."

He added that the company would fully cooperate with authorities investigating the accident, determine its exact cause, and fundamentally review and improve its safety management system to prevent a recurrence.

The site has experienced fatal industrial accidents before. In May 2018 and February 2019, separate explosions at Hanwha facilities in Daejeon killed five and three workers, respectively.

The company expressed shock over the latest accident, saying it occurred despite extensive follow-up safety measures implemented after previous explosions.

"We invested heavily in automating and isolating processes that had been identified as high-risk following previous explosion accidents, and those processes have been operating safely," said Ga Jae-woong, senior vice president and head of Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon plant.

However, the company said the level of automation in the process remained low because the washing operation had been considered relatively safe compared with other explosive-material handling procedures. The complex shape of the equipment being cleaned also made automation difficult.

Political parties, which had been intensifying their final campaign efforts ahead of Wednesday’s local elections, shifted into mourning following the accident. Loudspeakers mounted on vehicles that had been broadcasting campaign songs were turned off, and the accompanying dance performances stopped.

Both candidates for Daejeon mayor, Lee Jang-woo of the main opposition People Power Party and Her Tea-jeong of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, suspended their campaign activities and expressed condolences to the victims and their families.

The solemn atmosphere quickly spread to election campaigns across the country, as the leaders of the two major parties canceled campaign schedules in other regions and headed to Daejeon.

“Chair Jung Chung-rae has urgently instructed Democratic Party candidates and campaign teams across the country to stop campaign rallies, including the use of campaign songs and dance performances, in light of the Hanwha Aerospace accident in Daejeon,” the Democratic Party said in a statement.

People Power Party Chair Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok also instructed candidates to refrain from using campaign songs and dance performances and to conduct their campaigns in a subdued manner, while canceling his own campaign schedule for Monday in Jeju and Ulsan.