Daejeon: Five people were killed and two others were injured following an explosion at a Hanwha Aerospace factory in the central city of Daejeon, officials reported on Monday. Fire authorities were alerted to the incident at the defense company's factory at 10:59 a.m., leading to the deployment of approximately 100 personnel to extinguish the blaze.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the explosion resulted in five fatalities and left two individuals injured-one with full-body burns and another with minor injuries. The deceased victims were discovered at the site and included two contract employees in their 20s and three permanent employees, two in their 50s and one in their 30s.
The explosion reportedly occurred as workers were conducting cleaning operations at the site. A company official explained during a press briefing that various tools involved in producing rocket propellant might have triggered the explosion while cleaning propellant residue from the tools.
The fire was completely extinguished by 1:07 p.m., and authorities plan to carry out an investigation to determine the exact cause of the blaze. This incident is the latest in a series of deadly explosions at this facility, which specializes in developing large propulsion engines and tactical surface-to-surface weapon systems.
Previous explosions at the factory include one in 2018 that killed five people and another in 2019 that resulted in three fatalities. Despite investments in automating and systematizing processes following these accidents, the process involved in this latest incident was not initially considered high-risk, according to the company official.
The blaze destroyed a one-story building measuring 544 square meters, which was too small to be listed among facilities required to undergo regular safety checks by firefighting authorities. Following the explosion, President Lee Jae Myung called for comprehensive rescue efforts and ordered an investigation into the cause and measures to prevent future occurrences.
An ambulance was seen entering the Hanwha Aerospace facility in Daejeon, located approximately 140 kilometers south of Seoul, following the explosion on June 1, 2026.