[Factory Fires, Legislative Blind Spots] "Joint Inspections Should Be Institutionalized 1-2 Times a Year... R&D Needed for Industrial Accident Prevention"

Interview with Park Hongbae of the Democratic Party of Korea

Worksites Filled with Flammable Materials... Oversight Gaps Remain

Shifting Industrial Accident Response from Administration to Science

Editor's NoteFires at factories repeatedly lead to large-scale disasters. Whenever problems arise, authorities pledge new countermeasures, but follow-up legislation continues to stall. This three-part series analyzes the legislative blind spots surrounding factory fires and seeks to find alternatives. <Editor's Note>

Park Hong-bae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on the Daejeon Safe Industry fire disaster, which resulted in 14 deaths and 60 injuries. He said, "It is impossible not to point out the lack of oversight and supervision at worksites filled with flammable materials," and added, "It would be desirable for the Fire Department and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency to conduct joint inspections and institutionalize them as regular procedures one or two times a year."

Park, who is a member of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, met with The Asia Business Daily at his parliamentary office on April 1. He stated, "The building in question was constructed some time ago, so its walls were made of urethane foam, and the sodium stored inside the factory has also been pointed out as a cause."

Park emphasized the need to shift from an administrative to a scientific approach in dealing with industrial accidents. He said that the Ministry of Employment and Labor should independently develop safety technology and establish a certification system to standardize domestically produced equipment.

Park Hongbae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly office. 2026.4.1 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The following is a Q&A with Assemblyman Park.

- What measures can be taken to prevent disasters like the Daejeon Safe Industry fire?

▲ The government, including the Fire Department, is currently conducting joint emergency safety inspections with relevant agencies at 2,865 metal processing workplaces across the country. If we manage and implement countermeasures for all workplaces nationwide that are at risk of fire, just as we are doing with this joint inspection, I believe we can prevent disasters like the Safe Industry fire.

- The fire at the Hwaseong Aricell lithium battery factory in the past was very similar to this accident. What areas have yet to be improved?

▲ I understand that the certification standards for risk assessment have been strengthened, and support has been provided for equipment related to fire prevention and evacuation, as part of policies to prevent fire and explosion accidents. However, I believe these measures were likely limited to battery manufacturing sites across the country. It seems necessary to select high-risk workplaces and provide separate support for these sites.

- Factory buildings are managed by local governments based on reporting requirements.

▲ The fire department also conducts fire inspections twice a year. However, these are carried out by entrusted agencies, and there are no in-house inspections. The industrial safety inspection was conducted by the Daejeon branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, but it appears that the last inspection was three years ago, and it only checked whether lithium-ion batteries were being used. The comprehensive inspection was conducted due to the Aricell fire in Hwaseong, but it is somewhat disappointing that the inspection only focused on battery factories nationwide.

- You have proposed a bill to establish a National Institute of Industrial Safety and Health under the Ministry of Employment and Labor. What is the purpose of this bill?

▲ Currently, there is no organization within the Ministry of Employment and Labor that directly researches and verifies industrial safety issues. Fortunately, this year’s budget has begun to include R&D funding. Believing that a specialized research organization is also necessary, I proposed the bill.

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