Lee calls repeated blasts at same Hanwha site 'serious problem'; experts warn of export fallout

President Lee Jae Myung said Monday that repeated accidents of the same type at the same workplace represent "a serious problem," following an explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon facility.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting that day, Lee directed the Ministry of Employment and Labor to compile and report a list of workplaces where the same type of accident has recurred. "The relevant authorities must thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and do everything possible to establish measures to prevent a recurrence," he said. "Please also expedite safety inspections at similar facilities."

Lee also questioned whether human life is given sufficient value. "I often wonder whether we truly respect and cherish human life," he said. "Are we really valuing life above money? Each person's life is a universe unto itself — I sometimes wonder whether it is being treated as such."

The blast at the Daejeon facility on Sunday — the site's second major explosion in seven years — left seven workers dead or injured. Experts said the fire broke out in a washing room, making it an unusual case that warranted close scrutiny.

Eom Hyo-sik, head of the defense and security division at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, worked on Hanwha's communications team during the company's 2018 and 2019 accidents. He said Monday that propellant is a sensitive material that can ignite even from static electricity. However, he said investigators should keep multiple possibilities open — including whether the explosion actually occurred in the washing room itself or in an adjacent workspace.

A Hanwha official said at a briefing Sunday that the explosives used in that process are neutralized upon contact with water, and that large amounts of water are used in the washing process. That is why the company had not initially considered the area to carry significant risk.

On safety equipment, the official said flame-retardant suits and blast barriers are installed in certain zones and some areas are partially isolated, but added that pinpointing exactly where the explosion originated would require further investigation.

Shin Jong-woo, secretary general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, also raised questions about the incident. "The scene must be examined closely to determine whether safety protocols were strictly followed," he said. "This is not a place that just started washing things yesterday — it is hard to understand how a fire could break out in the washing room."

Concerns also emerged that the investigation's findings could affect future exports and deliveries. Eom said the accident could negatively affect the reliability of exported products, depending on what systems the propellant in question is loaded into. "We need to get to the bottom of the cause so we can dispel the anxiety of the countries importing these items," he said.

The Daejeon facility produces the Korea Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM), the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher, the long-range surface-to-air missile L-SAM, and the air defense system Cheongung-II.

The site has previously suffered two major explosions that claimed eight lives. In the May 2018 accident, two workers died at the scene and three others who sustained burns died while receiving treatment. In February 2019, an explosion and fire broke out in the propellant demolding room of Building 70 at the Daejeon factory, killing three people.

Both accidents were attributed to inadequate safety management. In the 2018 incident, investigators found that workers had struck the valve of a propellant container with a rubber mallet after the filling equipment malfunctioned. In the 2019 incident, static electricity remaining inside a rocket propellant body reacted with the explosive charge, triggering the blast. The explosion resulted from a failure to install a grounding device to discharge static electricity.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek said Sunday on Facebook that the ministry would spare no technical support needed for the accident investigation, working alongside the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.