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HD Hyundai to upgrade shipyard safety over 5 years with 3.5 trillion won plan

Published: 04 Sep. 2025, 14:30 Updated: 04 Sep. 2025, 15:45

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun, right, inspects major production facilities and high-risk work sites at HD Hyundai Samho's dockyard in Yeongam County, South Jeolla, on Aug. 4. [HD HYUNDAI]

HD Hyundai will allocate 3.5 trillion won ($2.5 billion) over five years to upgrade safety protocols across its shipyards, the group said Thursday, underscoring the conglomerate’s “safety first” management push.

The budget will be used through 2030 to build advanced safety systems and to repair and expand safety equipment and facilities at its shipyards, the group said.

The firm will also allocate funds to strengthen employee awareness of safety and to support safety initiatives for partner companies as part of a broader effort to raise safety standards across the organization.

The announcement came as group executives, including HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun, conducted on-site safety inspection across all affiliates' production sites on Thursday.

The vice chairman toured HD Hyundai Samho's dockyard in Yeongam County, South Jeolla, along with the firm's CEO, Kim Jae-eul, the same day.

HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun and workers inspect major production facilities and high-risk work sites at HD Hyundai Samho's dockyard in Yeongam County, South Jeolla, on Aug. 4. [HD HYUNDAI]

"Safety cannot be compromised for anything," Chung said, according to HD Hyundai. “The company will always put the lives of its employees first, under any circumstances."

“The decisions and actions of leaders have a profound impact on establishing a culture of safety," Chung added, and urged management to continue “pursuing field-centered leadership until we achieve zero serious industrial accidents across all production sites.”

The safety push follows President Lee Jae Myung and the liberal Democratic Party's continuous policy reform proposals to reduce industrial accidents, and amid added scrutiny of Korea's shipyards as the shipbuilding industry gains traction for potential deals with the United States.

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]