[Factory Fires, Legislative Blind Spots] Two Years After the Aricell Disaster... 70% of Related Bills Remain Pending

14 Bills Proposed After the Disaster, Only 4 Passed
Legislative Delays Criticized Even at the Time
Major Fire Repeats Two Years Later

Editor's NoteFactory fires repeatedly escalate into major disasters. Each time an issue arises, countermeasures are promised, but follow-up legislation stalls. This three-part series analyzes the legislative blind spots surrounding factory fires and seeks alternative solutions. <Editor's Note>

There is analysis that the damage from the fire at the Anjeong Industrial factory in Daejeon was exacerbated because legislative discussions stalled after the "Aricell disaster" two years ago. It has been pointed out that the tragedy was ultimately caused by a failure to prevent risks such as poor management of hazardous materials like sodium and lithium batteries, as well as illegal expansion and remodeling work.

After the fire at the Aricell factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province in June 2024, 14 bills aimed at preventing recurrence were proposed in the National Assembly over the following year. However, 10 of them (71.4%) remain pending in their respective standing committees even two years after the accident.

Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is visiting the site of a fire at Anjeon Industrial, an auto parts manufacturing plant in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, on the 21st of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the National Assembly's Bill Information System as of April 1, four out of the five "Aricell Disaster Recurrence Prevention Bills" (the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management, Disaster Relief Act, Fire Prevention Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Act on the Protection of Dispatched Workers), sponsored by Song Okjoo of the Democratic Party of Korea in September 2024, have seen no progress in committee discussions.

In particular, the "Fire Prevention Act Amendment," which addresses the hazardous material lithium batteries, was submitted to the Public Administration and Security Committee in November of that year, but its review has been endlessly delayed. The amendment proposes designating metals such as lithium-ion batteries as special flammable materials. Assemblywoman Song stated, "This latest Anjeong Industrial disaster could have been prevented if the laws and systems had been improved after the Aricell disaster two years ago," and added, "Even now, it is desirable to promptly process bills aimed at preventing recurrence of such accidents."

In addition, several related bills remain dormant in the National Assembly’s standing committees, including a "Fire Prevention Act Amendment" (proposed by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yongmin) to designate lithium battery-related facilities as special fire safety management sites, another "Fire Prevention Act Amendment" (proposed by People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jongyang) to add lithium-ion battery production factories to designated fire prevention enhancement zones, and a "Fire Facilities Act Amendment" (proposed by Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Youngkyo) requiring dedicated fire extinguishers in battery manufacturing and storage facilities. All these bills were introduced immediately after the disaster, but have yet to make progress.

Regarding labor-related laws, the "Dispatched Workers Act Amendment" (proposed by Assemblywoman Song), which strengthens requirements for using dispatched workers, and the "Occupational Safety and Health Act Amendment" (proposed by People Power Party lawmaker Kim Hyungdong), which mandates basic safety training for foreign workers before workplace placement, have also failed to pass the National Assembly.

Only four bills have passed the National Assembly: the Occupational Safety and Health Act (sponsored by Assemblywoman Song) to enhance the effectiveness of risk assessments; the Disaster Safety Act (sponsored by People Power Party lawmaker Park Sunghoon) to promote safety culture initiatives; and the Employment and Industrial Accident Insurance Premium Collection Act (sponsored by Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Yongwoo and People Power Party lawmaker Jo Jiyeon) to recover premium reductions in the event of a major disaster.

In reality, the passage of these bills is delayed due to the lack of social consensus. An office of a lawmaker belonging to the Climate, Energy, Environment, and Labor Committee explained, "Bills dealing with worker protection often face delayed discussions because of complex interests."

Shin Hana, head of the Aricell Disaster Legal Support Team and attorney at Deoksu Law Firm, stated, "The repeated occurrence of social disasters reflects the overall incompetence of society, so the National Assembly needs to take active measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents," and added, "The pattern of legislative action that flares up each time an accident occurs and then quickly cools down, like a pot boiling over, must stop."

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