Site of deadly Daejeon factory fire reportedly saw seven other blazes over 15 years
Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 18:10
![Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency investigators and labor and fire authorities conduct an on-site inspection on the morning of March 24 to determine the cause of the Anjun Industrial factory fire in Daejeon that left 74 people dead or injured. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/24/c2d604d0-b1d4-4e5f-b7b6-e5f6b4045ace.jpg)
Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency investigators and labor and fire authorities conduct an on-site inspection on the morning of March 24 to determine the cause of the Anjun Industrial factory fire in Daejeon that left 74 people dead or injured. [NEWS1]
DAEJEON — Seven fires in 15 years.
That’s how many blazes have occurred at the Anjun Industrial complex in Daejeon, indicating a pattern of overlooked hazards and safety inspection failures that culminated in the latest fire that left 74 dead or injured.
Anjun Industrial produces engine valves for automobiles and ships.
Most of the seven fires were found to have been caused by oil residue and dust in dust collectors or generated during manufacturing processes.
The company conducted regular self-inspections of the factory and reported the results to fire authorities. However, not only did Anjun Industrial flag the same issues year after year, but its 32-item self-inspection checklist did not include measures to address environmental risks, such as oil residue and oil mist, or oil droplets suspended in air — issues that workers and the union said they had raised but were ignored and that have been identified as fueling the latest fire — or cover the need to improve ventilation and dust-collection systems.
According to data released by the Daejeon Fire Headquarters on Tuesday, there were seven fire incidents at the plant between 2009 and 2023. Fortunately, all were extinguished early, and only one minor injury was reported.
![Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency investigators and labor and fire authorities conduct an on-site inspection on the morning of March 24 to determine the cause of the Anjun Industrial factory fire in Daejeon that left 74 people dead or injured. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/24/9628c149-034d-4917-82ab-55b09ef10fa2.jpg)
Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency investigators and labor and fire authorities conduct an on-site inspection on the morning of March 24 to determine the cause of the Anjun Industrial factory fire in Daejeon that left 74 people dead or injured. [NEWS1]
In January 2009, a fire broke out when oil residue inside a ceiling duct combined with high heat from a forging machine. In April 2012, dust inside a dust-collection pipe ignited from sparks produced during forging work. Fires also occurred in January 2017 and July 2019, when heat from friction ignited the dust inside the dust collectors.
Two fires were reported in 2023 alone. In May, sparks fell onto sludge during duct cleaning work, igniting a fire, and in June, sparks from a laser welding machine traveled through a dust collector, causing a blaze. A separate fire in September 2020 is believed to have started from a cigarette butt that ignited a pile of waste.
The company, given its operations and size, is required to conduct two types of regular internal inspections — comprehensive and functional — and report the results to fire authorities. Under this system, the company is expected to find and address any deficiencies on its own.
![Fire officials conduct a joint investigation at a factory owned by Anjun Industrial, an auto parts manufacturer, in Daedeok District, Daejeon, on March 24 to examine the site where illegal expansions were discovered. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/24/842f15f4-5c68-49a0-822e-e424366129fb.jpg)
Fire officials conduct a joint investigation at a factory owned by Anjun Industrial, an auto parts manufacturer, in Daedeok District, Daejeon, on March 24 to examine the site where illegal expansions were discovered. [YONHAP]
Inspectors repeatedly found basic safety problems: low water pressure in fire pumps; broken fire detectors on the first floor; emergency exit lights that didn’t work properly; and faulty smoke detectors across much of the production line.
In last year’s comprehensive inspection, defects were found in five locations, including one fire-extinguishing facility, three alarm systems and one evacuation system. The functional check identified problems in 13 locations, including one fire-extinguishing facility, 11 alarm systems and one evacuation system.
![A bereaved family member breaks down in tears at a joint memorial altar for victims of the Anjun Industrial factory fire at Daejeon City Hall on March 22. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/24/5ee3c6b6-81f8-41d4-baed-86f088099af4.jpg)
A bereaved family member breaks down in tears at a joint memorial altar for victims of the Anjun Industrial factory fire at Daejeon City Hall on March 22. [YONHAP]
In 2024, 12 issues were found during the comprehensive inspection and 10 more in the functional check.
This averages to roughly 10 problems flagged every year.
“Despite multiple past fires, there appears to have been insufficient effort [to address any issues], which may have led to this disaster,” Chae Jin, a professor of fire safety engineering at Mokwon University, said. “Fires are difficult to prevent through oversight alone, so individual workplaces must remain vigilant.”
At around 1:17 p.m. on Friday, a fire broke out at the Anjun Industrial complex in Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok District. It took 10 hours and 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze, and 27 hours and 43 minutes to recover the victims. The incident left 14 workers dead and 60 injured.
Police and labor authorities are investigating the company’s management of oil residue and handling practices, as well as the adequacy of its dust-collection systems.
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 BANG-HYUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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