“It feels like nothing at all has changed.”

Kim Yong-dong, 62, who lost his nephew in the explosion at the Daejeon plant of Hanwha Aerospace in February 2019, said this in an interview on the 3rd.

His nephew was 24 at the time of his death and had only been at Hanwha Aerospace for two to three years. In that explosion as well, three young workers in their twenties and thirties were killed. The accident occurred just nine months after five people were killed in a May 2018 explosion at the same plant. Kim became the representative of the bereaved families immediately after the accident.

More than seven years have passed, but on the 1st a ‘carbon-copy’ explosion occurred at the Daejeon plant of Hanwha Aerospace. This time, five workers lost their lives, including two non-regular workers in their twenties who had been on the job for just four months.

After the 2019 accident, the families of the victims urged improvements to the working environment, including modernization of facilities to protect worker safety, and measures to prevent a recurrence. Kim said, “At the time, the families did not negotiate over compensation; they demanded a ten-item set of measures that put safety first,” and added, “Not only the company and representatives of the workers but also the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the labor inspection authorities gathered together and reached an agreement, but judging by this accident, it appears nothing has been carried out.”

He toured the workshop where the accident occurred and the inside of the plant. Kim, who runs a small and medium-sized manufacturing business, said, “It felt like looking at a machine shop from the 1980s,” and, “The working environment at a large defense contractor felt worse than at our own factory that is 30 years old.” Hanwha Aerospace has stated that it automated the processes where the 2018 and 2019 accidents occurred, but that the cleaning process involved in this accident is, by its nature, difficult to fully automate.

Kim points to a reckless company and government neglect as the causes of the repeated major disasters. He said, “Even after the past accidents, I felt the company failed to gain a sense of alarm, and government oversight and supervision were not properly carried out,” and added, “In the end, because the company did not invest in or modernize its facilities, the same accidents were repeated, and it can only be seen that the government, which has the authority to supervise, stood by as a bystander.” He continued, “Because companies pursue profit, workers need to raise their voices more strongly to protect their own safety and lives.”

Regarding the fact that many of the victims in the three explosions were young workers, Kim said, “Newly hired young people naturally have lower skill levels and may be slower to recognize hazards.” He went on, “The company says it provides safety training, but training alone is not enough; ultimately, it is a systems issue.” He said, “After the previous two accidents, memorial monuments were erected at the plant, and now five more will be added. Among the bereaved families there is a weary sigh that the company will become a cemetery,” and added, “The company needs to feel true responsibility.”

Kim also said at a press conference held at the National Assembly shortly after the February 2019 explosion, “The company drove young people, whose average age was only 27, into a place of death,” and, “If the government had not remained silent, young people would not have died in yet another accident.”