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Photo courtesy of YoungPoong |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Seoul, South Korea — Another fire occurred at YoungPoong’s Seokpo Smelter, marking the second incident in less than a month. While no injuries were reported, the repeated fires have raised serious concerns over inadequate facility management and safety oversight.
According to the North Gyeongsang Fire Department, the fire broke out around 4:28 a.m. on December 3 in an external copper pipe at the smelter located in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province. The blaze burned part of the piping and was extinguished within about an hour. Authorities and police are investigating the cause.
A similar incident occurred just last month. That fire damaged seven 3,000V high-voltage panels and left soot across an 82.5 m² first-floor electrical room, resulting in an estimated KRW 23 million in property damage. Although no casualties were reported, the recurrence has fueled criticism that the smelter suffers from systemic management failures.
Fire-related incidents have continued over recent years.
In November 2023, a fire broke out inside a two-story smelting facility, burning parts of the roof.
In November 2022, an explosion occurred in a melting furnace at Casting Plant 1, requiring the deployment of 42 firefighters.
The Seokpo facility stores hazardous chemicals such as sulfuric acid, creating the potential for severe accidents and significant environmental harm in the event of a major fire. Experts say repeated incidents at such a high-risk industrial site underline the need for stricter inspections and enforcement by fire and environmental authorities.
Safety issues at the smelter extend beyond fires.
In December 2023, a subcontracted worker died from arsenic poisoning during a tank motor replacement, and three other workers required medical treatment. Last month, the Daegu District Court sentenced the smelter’s former CEO and former plant manager to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for violating Korea’s Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
Environmental violations have also persisted.
In 2021, the Ministry of Environment (now the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment) imposed KRW 28.1 billion in fines for the discharge of cadmium, a designated toxic substance, into the Nakdong River and other public waterways between 2019 and 2021. YoungPoong is currently challenging the penalty in court.
The smelter was also sanctioned for wastewater discharge issues in 2019 and suspended operations for 58 days earlier this year, from late February to late April. As a result, its operating rate dropped to 40.66% through the third quarter.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
