Joint Memorial Altar for Hanwha Aerospace Explosion Victims to Open on June 5

Yuseong-gu Office 1st Floor Lobby...
Memorial Visits Begin After Discussions with Bereaved Families
Five Killed in Cleaning Room Explosion at Daejeon Plant
Police and Labor Authorities Investigate the Cause

A joint memorial altar to honor the victims of the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant explosion will be operated starting from June 5.

The explosion accident occurred on the 1st at Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant in Yuseong District, Daejeon. As a result of the accident, 5 people have been confirmed dead and 2 others have sustained serious and moderate injuries. Yonhap News Agency

The Yuseong-gu Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on June 3 that, following discussions with the bereaved families, it was decided to set up the joint memorial altar in the lobby on the first floor of Yuseong-gu Office in Daejeon. Visitors can pay their respects starting at 9 a.m. on the 5th.

Initially, the headquarters planned to have the memorial altar installed by midnight on the day of the announcement and to begin operations on June 4. However, due to difficulties in sourcing materials caused by the local election holiday, the opening date was adjusted to June 5.

At approximately 10:59 a.m. on June 1, an explosion occurred in Cleaning Room 56 at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant in Oesam-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. Five workers were killed and two were injured in the accident. Among the injured, one suffered extensive burns and is receiving treatment, while the other sustained minor injuries.

It is reported that, in the cleaning room where the explosion occurred, workers were removing gunpowder residue from tools used in the production process of projectile propulsion units using water and detergent. The exact cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.

On June 2, police, fire authorities, the National Forensic Service, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency conducted a joint on-site inspection. The investigation, which involved the bereaved families, lasted about seven hours. The related agencies are examining the exact cause of the explosion based on the area suspected to be the ignition point and items collected from the scene.

On the morning of the 3rd, after the identification of the victims of the explosion accident at Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant was completed, Jaeil Son, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, met with the bereaved families twice at a hospital funeral hall in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, and then spoke to the press. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The police are questioning colleagues and securing relevant materials to confirm the work conditions at the time of the accident. The Ministry of Employment and Labor has also issued a suspension of work order and is reviewing whether there were any violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act or the Industrial Safety and Health Act.

Previous explosions have also occurred at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant. In May 2018, an explosion occurred during the injection of solid fuel into a rocket propulsion container, resulting in five worker deaths and four injuries. In February 2019, another explosion and fire occurred while separating fuel from a propulsion unit, leading to three worker fatalities.

Including this latest incident, there have been three explosions at the same plant over the past eight years, resulting in a total of 13 deaths. The investigative and labor authorities plan to look into the causes of these repeated explosions and whether the safety management system was properly implemented.

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