POSCO Removes Pohang Steelworks Chief Following Another Toxic Gas Leak That Left Three Workers in Critical Condition

(Lee Dong-ryul, Head of POSCO’s Pohang Steelworks. (Photo: Yonhap News)

[Alpha Biz= Reporter Cha Hye Young] POSCO has removed Lee Dong-ryul from his position as head of the Pohang Steelworks after a toxic gas leak at the plant left three workers in critical condition. The incident occurred just two weeks after a separate fatal accident earlier this month, raising further questions about the effectiveness of the group’s “safety-first” management pledge amid a string of workplace disasters throughout the year.

The latest accident took place at approximately 1:40 p.m. on November 20 at the STS No. 4 steelmaking facility in Pohang.
(See related report: “[Breaking] POSCO Toxic Gas Leak Leaves Three Workers in Critical Condition,” November 20, 2025.)

During a sludge-cleaning operation, two subcontracted workers in their 50s and a POSCO employee in his 40s collapsed after inhaling toxic gas. Sludge is a byproduct generated during steelmaking, and authorities suspect carbon monoxide inhalation as the likely cause.

All three victims were found in cardiac arrest and transported to a nearby hospital, where they regained heartbeat after emergency treatment but remain in critical condition.

This year alone, POSCO Group sites have seen a series of serious industrial accidents, including multiple fatalities.

In January, a worker died in a fall at a POSCO E&C apartment construction site.

In March, a worker was killed in a crushing accident at the Pohang Steelworks.

From April to July, three separate collapse accidents occurred at POSCO E&C roadwork sites and at Gwangyang Steelworks, resulting in a total of three deaths.

Amid the repeated incidents, President Lee Jae-myung sharply criticized the company during a Cabinet meeting on July 29, stating, “Repeated accidents are equivalent to condoning death. This is nothing short of murder by willful negligence.”

In response, POSCO Group Chairman Jang In-hwa launched a company-wide Safety Special Inspection Task Force on August 1 and established a dedicated safety subsidiary, POSCO Safety Solutions, vowing major improvements.

However, despite these initiatives, a toxic gas leak earlier this month at the Pohang plant killed one worker and injured three others—and this latest incident has intensified public concern, with growing calls for a fundamental overhaul of POSCO’s safety management systems.