Fire at Kia Gwangmyeong Plant... One Employee Dies

Container building at Kia Gwangmyeong Plant on fire on the morning of the 19th

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Sung Ki-ho] A fire broke out at Kia's Gwangmyeong plant on the 19th, resulting in the death of one employee. Authorities have begun investigating the cause of the accident.

According to the company, the fire occurred in a container building within the factory located in Sohadong, Gwangmyeong-si, with the report received around 6 a.m. Police and firefighters arrived at the scene and found a patient in cardiac arrest, who was transported to the hospital but later died. Online speculation suggested that the deceased had self-immolated, but the company stated that nothing has been specifically confirmed yet.

A police official said, "Based on the current on-site investigation, it is judged that the fire was not caused by arson or self-immolation," adding, "We plan to determine the exact cause of death and the details of the fire through further investigation."

Originally, a signing ceremony for the negotiation was scheduled on this day following the approval of the wage collective bargaining union member vote the previous day. The ceremony was postponed due to the accident. The plant was set to operate from 9:30 a.m. It is reported that the National Forensic Service is investigating the cause of the accident.

Although the specific cause of the accident has not been revealed, the death occurring within the workplace is likely to be treated as a serious industrial accident. Kia's Vice President Choi Jun-young serves as the Chief Safety Officer (CSO).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.