Hanwha Aerospace CEO bows head to families of explosion victims, vows to prioritize accident recovery

Son Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, met with the bereaved families of five workers who died in an explosion at the company's Daejeon plant on June 1. The meeting took place on the morning of June 3 at the funeral hall of Yuseonseon Hospital in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.

Appearing somber in a gray work uniform, Son bowed repeatedly before the approximately 10 family members. Discussions reportedly included measures to prevent future accidents. Many of the family members appeared dazed or bowed their heads, with some audibly expressing their grief and anger towards Son.

"We will do our best to handle the accident and to comfort the families of the bereaved to the best of our ability," Son told reporters after the meeting. The bodies of the victims were returned to their families three days after the accident, allowing funeral procedures to begin. The Daejeon National Police Agency confirmed on June 3 that the identities of the five deceased had been confirmed through DNA analysis by the National Forensic Service, and their remains were released to the families.

The Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon plant's No. 56 공구세척실 (tool cleaning room) experienced an explosion and fire of unknown origin around 10:59 AM on June 1. The incident resulted in five deaths, one serious injury, and one minor injury. Staff from the Daehan Red Cross Disaster Psychological Recovery Support Center were also present at the funeral hall, alongside family members and Hanwha Aerospace employees.