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Fatal fire at Korea's oldest wind farm draws broader attention to dangers of aging turbines

Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 18:44

The wind turbine in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang, is seen burn on March 24 after a fire the day before. [NEWS1]

A fatal fire at Korea’s oldest wind farm in Changpo-ri, Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang, has drawn attention to safety risks posed by aged wind turbines operating far longer than their designated lifespan after a string of recent accidents.

At around 1:11 p.m. on Monday, a fire broke out on a blade of turbine No. 19 at the wind farm in Changpo-ri. Three workers from a maintenance contractor were carrying out repair work on the blade from inside the turbine when the fire broke out and were killed.

The Changpo-ri wind farm is the country’s oldest wind turbine facility, and all 24 of its turbines have been in operation for more than two decades. This accounts for 92.3 percent of the nation’s 26 wind turbines that are more than 20 years old.

Wind turbines are generally designed to operate for 20 years, though each turbine’s actual lifespan can vary depending on safety inspections and maintenance.

According to data from the Korea Energy Agency on Tuesday, the 24 turbines at the Changpo-ri wind farm, operated by Yeongdeok Wind Power, were completed on Jan. 1, 2006. The next oldest, located at the Sinchang wind farm on Jeju Island, was completed on March 1, 2006.

Operators can extend a turbine’s lifespan by “repowering” it — a process that involves replacing key components, such as blades and internal generators, while keeping the tower structure intact.

The Changpo-ri turbines involved in the recent accident underwent a comprehensive safety inspection by a specialized agency in May of last year.

Despite such measures, a series of accidents has raised concerns over aging infrastructure.

A firetruck is stationed in front of Yeongdeok County's wind farm in North Gyeongsang on March 24. [NEWS1]

In addition to the recent fire, a nearby turbine, No. 21, collapsed after its tower buckled around its midpoint on Feb. 2. Although there were no casualties, a vehicle passed by mere seconds before the collapse and narrowly avoided a major accident.

The Yeongdeok County government has announced plans to dismantle the aging turbines following the repeated incidents.

“The turbines are over 20 years old and have suffered consecutive accidents, so we plan to push for their removal,” Kim Kwang-yeol, the Yeongdeok County governor, said. “Although the county does not have direct authority [to do so], we plan to propose the measure to the central government, including the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.”

Concerns are growing regarding other wind turbines that will soon reach 20 years old. Two turbines at the Yangyang onshore wind farm in Gangwon are set to exceed the 20-year mark in June, while 49 turbines at the Gangwon wind farm in Daegwallyeong will do the same in September.

Civic groups say that institutional measures are needed to address the risks posed by such aging facilities.

A wind turbine is on fire at a wind farm in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang, on March 23. [YONHAP]

“There is no government-level guideline for wind turbine safety management,” Kim Jung-jin, the head of the Daegu citizen coalition for safety, said. “Maintenance is carried out based only on guidelines created by manufacturers, so improvements are needed.”

“Although there is a trend toward replacing old turbines with newer models, they should be replaced as soon as possible with models equipped with escape systems in case of accidents,” Kim added.

Meanwhile, the fire that broke out at the Changpo-ri wind farm on Monday had not been fully extinguished as of Tuesday morning. The fire has been difficult to contain due to its location — about 80 meters (262 feet) above ground — and the remaining oil inside the turbine.

A wildfire that spread to nearby hills was brought under control at around 6:15 p.m. on Monday.

The police plan to launch a full investigation once the fire is completely extinguished and the damaged turbine is dismantled. Meanwhile, authorities are conducting preliminary checks to determine the cause of the accident.

Investigators will also examine whether any of the involved parties were professionally negligent. The process is expected to take time, as site clearance and autopsies must be completed first.

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 KIM JUNG-SEOK [[email protected]]