Five dead in Hanwha Aerospace factory fire, SK hynix employees evacuated from nearby plant
Published: 01 Jun. 2026, 19:35
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- YOON SO-YEON
- [email protected]
![A Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon facility is seen burned down due to a fire on June 1. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/06/01/9218aee2-c4bc-4c3f-b965-4be1528bd950.jpg)
A Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon facility is seen burned down due to a fire on June 1. [YONHAP]
An explosion and fire at a Hanwha Aerospace factory in Daejeon on Monday morning left five dead, while a fire in a gas room at an SK hynix plant in nearby North Chungcheong prompted the evacuation of 3,600 employees on the same day.
Politicians halted their election campaigns to join hands in mourning.
One employee was severely injured while another was less severely hurt in the explosion at the Hanwha Aerospace facility in Daejeon, according to officials. Two of the deceased were contract workers in their 20s.
The explosion reportedly occurred at around 10:59 a.m. in the plant's cleaning room, where seven workers were on duty. Hanwha Aerospace manufactures aircraft engines, space launch vehicle engines, weapons and ammunition. The explosion triggered a fire that left the facility almost completely destroyed.
All five employees who died were found inside the cleaning room. The National Forensic Service was conducting autopsies as of Monday afternoon. Two workers escaped the cleaning room but were injured. One remains in critical condition with a full-body burn, and the other has burns around the neck area. The latter received treatment and was sent home.
The incident is believed to have occurred during an operation to clean explosives inside a cleaning room in Building 56 at a propellant testing facility in Oesam-dong in Yuseong District, Daejeon, according to Hanwha Aerospace.
![Plumes of smoke arise from an explosion that occurred at Hanwha Aerospace’s Daejeon facility on June 1. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/06/01/0bb4b9f9-826c-4834-87d6-6d6ff290a50c.jpg)
Plumes of smoke arise from an explosion that occurred at Hanwha Aerospace’s Daejeon facility on June 1. [YONHAP]
The fire started for “unknown” reasons while workers were cleaning chemical products associated with propellant materials, according to Hanwha.
“We are devastated and heartbroken by the loss of five valued employees in the accident that occurred at our Daejeon facility this morning,” said Hanwha Group and its subsidiary Hanwha Aerospace. “We extend our deepest condolences to the deceased and our sincere sympathies to their bereaved families. We wish for a quick recovery of the injured employees and promise to provide the best care and support."
Hanwha Group chairman Kim Seung-youn also paid his respects to the deceased employees.
“I am overwhelmed with grief after hearing that employees, who were doing their best at work, lost their lives or were injured,” Kim said. “I offer my deepest condolences to the surviving families.”
On the same day, a gas leak was reported from SK hynix's Cheongju Technopolis industrial complex in North Chungcheong.
The fire started around 10:32 a.m. in a gas room on the sixth floor of Building 3, according to officials. The fire was brought under control after the sprinklers were activated, but hydrogen fluoride, a toxic gas, leaked at 5 parts per million (ppm) — above the Ministry of Employment and Labor's ceiling exposure limit of 3 ppm.
![Officials are seen at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon facility, where a fire broke out on the morning of June 1. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/06/01/a019095a-552e-4fa9-bb48-2fe65613a01c.jpg)
Officials are seen at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon facility, where a fire broke out on the morning of June 1. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
![The Democratic Party's June 3 local election campaign leader, Jung Chung-rae, visits the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon facility after a deadly fire breaks out on June 1. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/06/01/bc7059a5-589e-4edf-a13c-927b17131539.jpg)
The Democratic Party's June 3 local election campaign leader, Jung Chung-rae, visits the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon facility after a deadly fire breaks out on June 1. [YONHAP]
Employees reported only minor injuries, such as eye itchiness, which were treated at the in-company hospital before the employees were sent back to work, according to the company.
Leaders from both the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the opposition People Power Party suspended all campaign activities and rushed to Daejeon to extend their condolences.
DP Party Chairman Jung Chung-rae, who was campaigning for Lee Cha-young, the party’s candidate for Goesan County governor in North Chungcheong, immediately canceled a scheduled campaign stop in Ulsan and headed to Daejeon. DP campaign teams nationwide plan to continue campaigning on Tuesday in a subdued manner by halting campaign songs and choreographed dances, and playing only muted videos on campaign vehicles.
PPP chairman Jang Dong-hyeok, who had begun campaign activities in Jeju earlier in the day with a visit to Dongmun Traditional Market, also canceled all remaining scheduled events, including a stop at Sinjeong Market in Ulsan.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also headed to Daejeon after receiving a report on the accident.
BY YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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