Families and colleagues mourn victims, ask questions at joint memorial for Daejeon factory fire
Published: 22 Mar. 2026, 18:07
![Citizens pay their respects at a joint memorial altar for victims of the fire at Anjun Industrial in Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall on March 22. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/22/206195d0-f5d9-4d0c-b0b0-fe493c1fe337.jpg)
Citizens pay their respects at a joint memorial altar for victims of the fire at Anjun Industrial in Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall on March 22. [YONHAP]
DAEJEON — The bereaved families of victims of a deadly factory fire in Daejeon mourned at a joint memorial inside Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall on Sunday, as grieving relatives recounted the victims’ final moments in the blaze that left 14 dead.
The fire broke out at around 1:17 p.m. on Friday at Anjun Industrial in Daejeon, leaving 14 people dead and injuring 60.
“The last thing [my husband] said was, ‘I can’t see,’ and then the call cut off,” the wife of one victim said on Sunday.
The victim, surnamed Choi, was the sole financial support for his family. Choi's wife visited the joint memorial altar set up by the Daejeon Metropolitan City with her two children.
“The call dropped, and he didn’t pick up when I called again," she said. "Later, his phone was turned off. I couldn’t even hear his last words."
Choi had worked at the company for four years and was the second of three brothers. During busy farming seasons, he helped his parents with farm work in Geumsan County, South Chungcheong.
“He was kind and affectionate,” Choi’s aunt said. “He was a good son who worked hard all his life. His children are still so young. What am I supposed to do?”
Choi’s young second son appeared confused, seemingly unaware of his father’s death, as he placed a white flower at the memorial and bowed.
![A bereaved family member touches her son’s name at a joint memorial altar for victims of the fire at Anjun Industrial in Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall on March 22. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/22/7bd0ff24-feff-452b-aa69-0b30567de6ee.jpg)
A bereaved family member touches her son’s name at a joint memorial altar for victims of the fire at Anjun Industrial in Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall on March 22. [YONHAP]
Choi’s father criticized the conditions at the site.
“I saw the burned building and thought my son had been working in the worst place," he said. "There should have been at least a window to escape. The fact that there were no windows is frustrating."
Relatives of the 14 victims continued to visit the memorial, calling out the names of their loved ones.
“Please save my son," one mother cried. "Come out of there. If you’re going to go, take me with you.”
Another mother wept repeatedly, saying, “Why is my son here?”
Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo visited the memorial and the waiting area for bereaved families at around 10 a.m. on Sunday, instructing city officials to provide full support.
“The families must be in shock after such a sudden tragedy,” Lee said. “Make sure they receive full support.”
Hwang Byung-geun, leader of the Anjun Industrial labor union, added that workers were also struggling to cope.
“Colleagues we worked with just days ago are gone overnight," Hwang said. "Employees cannot contain their grief. I don’t know how to comfort the families who are going through such devastating pain."
The union plans to assign members to support each bereaved family and listen to their concerns.
![A bereaved family member touches her son’s name at a joint memorial altar for victims of the fire at Anjun Industrial in Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall on March 22. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/22/5bebb907-c451-49ac-9f40-7b12423b2d8f.jpg)
A bereaved family member touches her son’s name at a joint memorial altar for victims of the fire at Anjun Industrial in Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall on March 22. [YONHAP]
Police are working to identify the 14 victims recovered between Friday and Saturday. Authorities placed the bodies across four funeral homes in Daejeon and are conducting fingerprint and DNA analysis to confirm identities.
“Some of the bodies are severely damaged, so identification may take longer than usual," a public official said. "I hope the victims can return to their families as soon as possible.”
One person, surnamed Hong, called for stronger safety measures.
“The fire broke out in broad daylight, but the casualties were very high,” Hong said on Sunday. “Authorities should not just focus on laws and manuals but also check whether safety rules are actually followed at worksites. Company owners should also prepare evacuation drills and guidelines suited to their workplaces."
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 LEE GYU-RIM, KIM YE-JUNG, KIM JEONG-JAE AND CHOI JONG-KWON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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