Authorities raid Hanwha Aerospace over blast that left 5 dead, 2 injured

DAEJEON, SEJONG — Police and labor authorities on Thursday launched a search and seizure operation against Hanwha Aerospace following an explosion and fire that left five dead and two injured. 

The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's special investigation team and the Daejeon Regional Employment and Labor Office, comprising 34 police officers and 20 labor inspectors, began simultaneous raids of Hanwha Aerospace's Seoul headquarters, its Research and Development (R&D) campus in Daejeon and the plant where the deadly explosion occurred on Monday. 

Authorities aim to seize operational logs and safety management documents from the specific washing bay where the blast took place. Investigators are particularly focused on verifying allegations raised by the labor union and victims' families, who claim that the installation of critical safety equipment had been wrongfully delayed. 

"We will closely analyze the materials secured through the search and seizure and clearly establish the cause of the accident and where responsibility lies," a police official said.

Labor authorities said it is separately seeking to obtain documents related to the propellant cleaning process and facility blueprints, as well as records on the safety and health management system, to determine whether adequate safety measures were in place at the time of the blast. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said it formed a dedicated investigation team of around 20 people to pursue the case.

"Going forward, if accidents of the same type recur due to failure to observe minimum safety regulations or result in multiple casualties, we will actively use forced investigative measures such as search and seizure and arrest to respond strictly," a ministry official said. 

Since the explosion, Hanwha Aerospace has suspended all production lines through Friday and is conducting a special safety inspection across nine facilities nationwide. These include plants in Daejeon; Boeun County, North Chungcheong; Yeosu, South Jeolla; and three sites in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, as well as R&D campuses in Daejeon; Pangyo, Gyeonggi; and Asan, South Chungcheong. 

The Daejeon, Boeun and Yeosu sites produce propellants and propellant charges, while the Changwon plants manufacture K-9 self-propelled howitzers, armored vehicles and aircraft engines. Some essential processes have been exempted from the shutdown.

"We judged that securing a safe working environment takes priority over some production disruption caused by the work stoppage, to fundamentally prevent risks like the Daejeon plant accident," the company said.

A joint memorial altar for the victims of the Daejeon explosion has been set up in the lobby of the Yuseong District Office in Daejeon, with the public set to be able to come and pay their respects from 9 a.m. on Friday. 

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY SHIN JIN-HO, KIM YEON-JOO [[email protected]]