Son Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, arrives at a hospital in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on Tuesday morning to meet with bereaved families after the identities of victims killed in the explosion at the company's Daejeon plant were confirmed. [Yonhap]
Son Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, arrives at a hospital in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on Tuesday morning to meet with bereaved families after the identities of victims killed in the explosion at the company's Daejeon plant were confirmed. [Yonhap]

The bodies of workers killed in the explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon plant were returned to their families Tuesday, two days after the accident, as discussions over funeral arrangements got underway.

Police completed identification of the victims through DNA analysis with the families Tuesday morning and handed over the remains, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Two bodies that had been held at Chungnam National University Hospital were transferred to Yuseong Sun Hospital, where bereaved family members, Hanwha Aerospace officials and Yuseong-gu district office representatives gathered in a somber atmosphere to discuss funeral arrangements, including the location of the memorial altar and burial site.

The Yuseong-gu Disaster and Safety Response Headquarters said families were also selecting a representative and exchanging views on where to set up a joint condolence hall.

Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il visited the funeral home and met with the bereaved families twice — at around 10 a.m. and again at around 10:40 a.m.

Family members confronted Son and other Hanwha Aerospace officials, demanding measures to prevent a recurrence. One relative lashed out at Son directly, saying, "Isn't it you who threw them into hellfire through the inertia and complacency you keep talking about?"

Another family member referenced two earlier accidents at the company in 2018 and 2019 that killed a combined eight workers, saying "nothing has changed since last time," and urged the company to come forward with a clear position and a concrete plan.

Son bowed deeply in apology to the families on multiple occasions.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with the families, he said, "I am deeply sorry. We will do everything we can to manage the aftermath of this accident. I cannot begin to fathom the depth of the families' grief, but we will do our utmost to ease their pain even a little."

Funeral arrangements had yet to be finalized, and no memorial altar had been set up as of Tuesday, with further discussions still needed.

Some family members said they still had unanswered questions about the cause of the explosion and the circumstances of the deaths.

One relative who said they had observed the forensic examination of the scene told other family members that "the outer doors had all been blown outward by the force of the blast," adding, "We need to find out exactly whether the victims died while working or while trying to evacuate."

The explosion occurred at around 10:59 a.m. Monday in a parts-cleaning room in Building 56 of the Hanwha Aerospace plant in Oesamdong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, killing five workers and injuring two others.


dandy@heraldcorp.com