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6 execs banned from leaving Korea during investigation of Daejeon factory fire

Published: 26 Mar. 2026, 14:57

The outside of an Anjun Industrial auto parts manufacturing factory is seen after a fire broke out on March 20, in Daedeok District, Daejeon on March 21. [YONHAP]

Six executives of Daejeon-based auto parts maker Anjun Industrial, whose factory fire left 14 people dead and 60 others injured last week, have been banned from leaving the country, police said Thursday.

The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency said it has questioned 53 company officials and was conducting a digital forensic analysis on 256 seized items, including company computers and personal mobile phones, to determine why the blaze began and how so many workers were killed.

The police also imposed an exit ban on six company executives, including CEO Son Ju-hwan. The deadly fire broke out at the company's plant in the city's Munpyeong-dong district, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul, last Friday, claiming the lives of 14 workers.

Based on the statements of the 53 officials questioned, the police suspect that the evacuation was delayed because the fire alarm turned off immediately after beginning to ring, leading workers to perceive the alarm as a malfunction.

"While the initial outbreak of the fire and the subsequent rapid spread of combustion are important, the fact that many people were unable to evacuate in time and suffered heavy casualties is equally significant," a police investigator said in a media briefing.

The police said they will continue to investigate the reason why the alarm stopped ringing, who turned off the alarm and whether there was a system issue.

Yonhap