Cheonan industrial plant fire and investigation

On August 28, a fire broke out at a paint raw material production factory in Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, South Korea. The incident prompted a Level 1 emergency response from fire authorities, and the death toll eventually rose to three people.

By September 3, police and labor authorities launched a formal investigation into the Daewon Industrial plant. Investigators conducted search and seizure operations at the company’s headquarters in Cheonan and its Seoul office to determine if there were violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act or the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Preliminary findings suggested the fire likely originated on the ninth floor of a tallow refining tower during a valve inspection. Authorities also examined reports that the facility had experienced four other fires over the previous four years.

One month after the incident, investigations revealed significant regulatory gaps. Despite the history of fires since 2022, the facility was exempt from mandatory fire safety inspections because its total floor area was less than 5,000 square meters. The victims included two Filipino migrant workers, such as Joy Kanto, who had worked at the plant since 2017.

Authorities also uncovered potential legal violations regarding the employment of foreign workers. While Kanto was officially permitted to work for a separate entity called ‘Daewon Yuji,’ he was actually performing labor at Daewon Industry. The Ministry of Employment and Labor is investigating the reasons behind this corporate separation. In response, local migrant worker support groups are calling for more rigorous oversight to prevent similar industrial tragedies.