Chinese ambassador hopes Korean companies learn 'painful lesson' after deadly fire

Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming stressed that Korean enterprises will "learn a painful lesson" during a visit to the site of a devastating fire at a battery plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, that killed over 20 people, mostly Chinese nationals.

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming is interviewed by the media at the site of the lithium battery plant fire in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday. [EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN SOUTH KOREA]

Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming stressed that Korean enterprises will "learn a painful lesson" during a visit to the site of a devastating fire at a battery plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, that killed over 20 people, mostly Chinese nationals.

Police and local media on Tuesday reported 23 fatalities from the fire. Among the deceased, 17 were Chinese nationals, five were Korean and one was Laotian. One of the Koreans was a naturalized citizen from China.

Most of the victims were Chinese day laborers, mainly joseonjok women in their 30s and 40s who reportedly did not know the evacuation routes during the explosion and fire.

Joseonjok are ethnic Koreans from China.

Ambassador Xing visited the fire scene late Monday night and was briefed by fire authorities on the search and recovery operations, according to the Chinese Embassy in Korea on Tuesday.

"The Hwaseong battery factory fire caused heavy casualties and property losses, especially the unfortunate deaths of many Chinese citizens, and I am extremely saddened," Xing said.

He urged the Korean authorities to determine the cause of the accident quickly, manage the aftermath and provide all necessary support to the families of the Chinese victims.

"The Chinese ruling party and government are highly concerned about this incident," Xing added. "We hope that the relevant enterprises in Korea will learn a painful lesson and ensure that similar accidents do not occur in the future, effectively protecting the life, health, and safety of Chinese citizens in Korea."

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the largest umbrella labor union in the country, criticized the incident, describing it as "the worst chemical accident and the largest mass industrial accident involving migrant workers."

"Despite ongoing demands, the government's response has been limited to developing poorly communicated safety education materials,” the KCTU said. “In high-risk workplaces, where the danger is heightened by dispatch and day labor employment, 20 migrant workers were sacrificed due to the lack of proper safety education and evacuation training. The employers and the government are responsible for this disaster.”

A coalition of over 100 migrant rights groups also issued a joint statement on Tuesday, calling for special measures to ensure the safety of migrant workers.

"Most of the victims appear to be migrant workers employed as day laborers through service suppliers, who likely did not receive proper safety education or training," read the statement. "A thorough investigation must be conducted to prevent similar tragedies in other workplaces."

Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon drew a parallel between the Hwaseong fire and the Itaewon tragedy.

"Watching the Hwaseong fire accident, I was reminded of the Itaewon disaster," Kim said after visiting the site. "We are currently paying a high social cost due to the lack of accurate information and acknowledgment of mistakes from the Itaewon tragedy."

Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an emergency meeting the previous evening, expressing deep condolences to the foreign workers who died in the accident.

The ministry instructed the relevant authorities to notify the embassies in Korea as soon as the list of foreign victims was confirmed and to maintain close cooperation with the embassies for funeral arrangements and support for the victims' families.

Additionally, it requested that the Ministry of Justice and other relevant agencies provide maximum consideration and support to foreign bereaved family members wishing to enter the country.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]