Fatal explosion at Hanwha Aerospace kills five, marks third incident since 2018

A devastating explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon facility has claimed the lives of five workers and left another critically injured, marking the third major incident at the site since 2018. The blast, which occurred Wednesday afternoon in a tool cleaning area within Building 56, has brought the total fatalities at the facility to 13.

The area where the explosion occurred is used to clean tools contaminated with trace amounts of rocket propellant. Hanwha stated that six production workers and one supervisor were cleaning tools with a detergent-based solution when the explosion happened. Five workers died instantly, and one sustained severe burns. A supervisor outside the building suffered minor injuries. The rapid spread of flames left workers with no time to escape.

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Propellant used in the production process can adhere to tools, and we clean them with a detergent solution. This substance is supposed to become harmless upon contact with water, so we do not know why an explosion occurred.

"Propellant used in the production process can adhere to tools, and we clean them with a detergent solution. This substance is supposed to become harmless upon contact with water, so we do not know why an explosion occurred," said Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant Manager Kang Jae-woong during a briefing. He expressed deep regret, acknowledging the company's failure to prevent recurrence despite previous major accidents. "We had recognized the process where the accident occurred as not having a high risk, so we are bewildered," he added, declining to specify the explosive material due to the classified nature of the processes.

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We had recognized the process where the accident occurred as not having a high risk, so we are bewildered.

However, this explanation is contradicted by the site's history. The previous explosions in 2018 and 2019 also involved solid fuels for weapons, occurring during the filling of rocket propellant containers and the removal of molds. Following the 2018 incident, which resulted in nine casualties, a special labor inspection uncovered 486 violations of the law. The company's business reports show that the Yuseong Fire Station fined Hanwha 2 million won in January last year for failing to comply with hazardous material prevention regulations and another 1.6 million won in June for inadequate fire facility maintenance.

Experts like Professor Yeom Kun-woong of the Police and Fire Administration department suggest that defense contractors often classify their processes as confidential, which can hinder proper follow-up actions after fatal accidents. "Given that three similar accidents have occurred at the same facility, a thorough investigation and a comprehensive survey are necessary," he stated. The company's union declared that slogans for eradicating industrial accidents were mere rhetoric and demanded a thorough investigation and accountability. Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn offered condolences and instructed swift support for the bereaved families and the injured, with the company pledging to thoroughly investigate the cause to prevent future tragedies.

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Given that three similar accidents have occurred at the same facility, a thorough investigation and a comprehensive survey are necessary.