Hanwha Aerospace, a defense affiliate of Hanwha Group, has temporarily halted production at its Daejeon facility following a fatal explosion. The arms manufacturer was directed by labor authorities to cease operations at the plant, located 140 kilometers south of Seoul, due to a severe workplace incident under South Korea’s safety regulations.
The explosion resulted in the death of five individuals and injuries to two others. Authorities have initiated a joint investigation to determine the precise cause of the tragic event. Workers were reportedly engaged in cleaning propellant powder residue from tools used in propulsion system production when the explosion occurred.
Investigators are focused on identifying the ignition source and assessing the presence of flammable materials at the site. The Daejeon plant, a critical defense facility designated as a secret defense factory, produces various weapon systems such as the Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers and long-range surface-to-air missiles (L-SAM).
The affected production lines at the facility contributed 1.32 trillion won (US$870 million) in revenue last year, constituting nearly 5% of Hanwha Aerospace’s total revenue. Additionally, the arms procurement agency has pledged technical support for the investigation into the explosion at the Hanwha Aerospace factory.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has established a task force to oversee the situation following the tragic incident that claimed five lives and injured two individuals. DAPA spokesperson Kim Joo-chul stated that the agency will provide assistance in the investigation by leveraging the expertise of specialized institutions to determine the accident’s cause.
Amid concerns regarding potential oversights in inspections at high-security defense industry facilities, DAPA reassured that annual inspections have been conducted in accordance with relevant laws.
