According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Minister Kim Young-hoon dispatched Ryu Hyun-cheol, head of the Industrial Safety and Health Agency, and Lee Min-jae, head of the Industrial Safety and Health Policy Division, to the scene shortly after the incident. He also visited the site personally to oversee the response and directed a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the explosion.
In response, the ministry set up a Central Industrial Accident Response Headquarters and a Regional Industrial Accident Response Headquarters at the Daejeon Regional Employment and Labor Office. Additionally, a dedicated investigation team, comprising around 20 members from the Daejeon Labor Office's Serious Industrial Accident Investigation Division and the Serious Industrial Accident Prevention Center, has commenced its work.
Labor authorities are committed to thoroughly identifying the structural causes of the incident and ensuring prompt and rigorous oversight and investigation. The ministry stated, "We plan to rigorously investigate whether safety measures for handling hazardous materials and obligations under the Serious Accident Punishment Act were properly implemented. The dedicated investigation team will work closely with relevant agencies, including the prosecution and the Occupational Safety and Health Agency, to clarify the specifics of the accident and determine accountability."
Minister Kim expressed condolences to the workers who lost their lives in the incident, stating, "We will exert every effort to ensure a swift and thorough response to the accident and prevent any secondary incidents."
Earlier that day, at 10:59 a.m., a fire broke out in a cleaning room at Hanwha Aerospace's weapons manufacturing facility due to an explosion of unknown origin. Fire authorities issued a Level 1 response at 11:17 a.m. and managed to control the blaze within 32 minutes, declaring it fully extinguished by 1:07 p.m. As of 1:30 p.m., five individuals were confirmed dead, with one seriously injured and another sustaining minor injuries.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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