An explosion occurred on June 1 at 10:59 a.m. local time at Hanwha Aerospace's factory in Daejeon, South Korea, about 140-150 km south of Seoul [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The blast caused a fire that killed five people and injured two others [2, 6, 7, 4, 5]. The victims have not been identified due to severe body damage, but two of the deceased were temporary workers in their 20s employed by Hanwha Aerospace [2, 6]. One injured person suffered severe burns and was hospitalized, and the other had minor injuries [2, 6, 4].
The explosion is suspected to have involved rocket propellant or related flammable materials used in propulsion systems. It reportedly happened while workers were cleaning propellant powder residue from tools [1, 2, 6, 3, 4, 5]. The factory produces large propulsion engines, rocket propellants, and tactical surface-to-surface weapon systems [2, 6, 7, 4, 5]. Despite the severity of the blast, police confirmed the factory building was not at risk of collapse [5].
South Korean authorities, including police, fire, forensic teams, labor ministry, and safety officials, have launched a joint investigation into the cause of the explosion [5]. The factory has seen previous fatal explosions in 2018 and 2019 [4, 5].
Shares of Hanwha Aerospace and its parent company Hanwha Corporation fell after the incident, dropping 2.8% and 3.4%, respectively, in trading on the afternoon of June 1 [6]. Hanwha CEO Son Jae-il expressed condolences, saying, "We bow our heads in apology to the victims and their bereaved families" [6]. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for a full response, stating, "Mobilise all available resources to respond to the accident and investigate the cause" [6, 7].
The investigation continues as of June 2, with officials working to determine the full circumstances surrounding the explosion.
