[Factory Fire, Legislative Blind Spot] Repeated 'Copycat' Factory Fires... Due to 'Prevention Gaps'

Editor's NoteFactory fires repeatedly lead to major disasters. Each time problems arise, authorities vow to take action, but follow-up legislation continues to stall. This is the first of a three-part series analyzing the legislative blind spots surrounding factory fires and exploring possible solutions. <Editor's Note>

Although funeral procedures for the 14 victims of the Safe Industrial fire disaster in Daejeon have concluded, investigations to determine the cause of the accident are still ongoing.

(Daejeon = Yonhap News) Photo by Junbum Kim - Aerial view of Safe Industry in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, where a large fire occurred on the morning of March 21, 2026. psykims@yna.co.kr

Even before this tragedy, fires in factory buildings have resulted in significant casualties. In June 2024, a fire at the Aricell primary battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, caused a chain reaction of lithium battery explosions, killing 23 people and injuring 8. In 2020, an explosion during urethane foam work triggered a fire at the Han Express logistics warehouse in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, resulting in 38 deaths and 10 injuries. In 2008, a vapor explosion at the Korea 2000 cold storage warehouse in Icheon caused a fire that left 40 dead and 10 injured.

Previously, on March 25, members of the National Assembly’s Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee from both ruling and opposition parties highlighted the overall vulnerability of the industrial safety management system during a plenary session. Lawmakers pointed out that this incident is very similar to the Aricell factory fire. Assemblywoman Kim Sohee of the People Power Party noted that both the Aricell disaster and the current accident occurred at factories handling hazardous materials and that there were warning signs prior to both accidents. She mentioned that workers had warned of safety risks ahead of time and emphasized the similarities, stating, "There is too great a gap in prevention." Assemblyman Kang Deukgu of the Democratic Party of Korea said, "After the Aricell fire, we should have had a comprehensive review of the dangers of chemicals, sandwich panels, and awareness of emergency exits." He added, "The Ministry of Employment and Labor should take the lead in working with local governments to conduct a full-scale inspection of outdated buildings and sandwich panels and devise measures to prevent recurrence."

In 2021, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Building Act prohibiting the use of sandwich panel structures with flammable insulation materials such as styrofoam and urethane foam. However, the law does not apply retroactively to factories built before its enactment, so it has failed to prevent such accidents. Illegal extensions to factory buildings also remain difficult for local governments or relevant ministries to manage proactively unless they are reported.

It is also notable that the management of factory buildings falls under multiple ministries, including the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Even in this latest accident, the Ministry of Environment's inspections only covered external emissions, while industrial safety and health inspections focused solely on internal environments, highlighting the lack of integrated supervision. On this point, National Assembly Vice Speaker Lee Hakyoung, a member of the Environment and Labor Committee, stated, "Administration should not be fragmented," and stressed, "Health, safety, labor relations, and on-site inspections should all be consolidated into a comprehensive system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.