84% of chemical accidents in Seoul over 12 years linked to safety violations; 102 facilities to be inspected through mid-July
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched emergency safety inspections of hazardous chemical handling facilities across the city, amid a string of recent industrial accidents including an explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon factory and a toxic gas leak at SK Hynix's Cheongju factory.
Seoul said Friday it would conduct emergency safety inspections of hazardous chemical facilities in the city through mid-July, focusing on compliance with chemical handling standards and the state of safety management.
According to data from the Chemical Substances Information System, Seoul recorded 31 chemical-related accidents over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025. Of those, 26 cases — or 83.8 percent — were attributed to failure to comply with safety standards. Leaks were the most common type of incident, accounting for 21 cases (67.7 percent), followed by explosions at 4 cases (12.9 percent).
In response, the city plans to select a sample from 102 workplaces that handle chemicals with high damage potential in the event of an accident, and conduct on-site inspections to identify and eliminate risk factors before incidents occur.
In accordance with relevant regulations, the city notified operators of the targeted facilities of the inspection plan on Friday. On-site inspections are scheduled to run from June 29 through mid-July.
The inspections will cover compliance with hazardous chemical handling standards, use of personal protective equipment and operation of ventilation systems, completion of legally required and self-conducted inspections, and completion of safety education by managers and other personnel. Seoul's safety inspectors and experts from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency will participate, with fire department specialists joining when necessary.
Minor violations identified during inspections will be corrected on the spot, and facilities that request guidance will receive regulatory compliance advice and tailored safety consulting.
Serious violations — such as the unlicensed storage of hazardous chemicals — will result in immediate on-site controls, with notifications sent to relevant authorities including the local fire department and the Han River Basin Environmental Office to request administrative and legal action.
The city said it aims to use the inspections to identify safety risks at hazardous chemical facilities before they escalate, and to prevent major accidents such as leaks and explosions.
"Recent chemical accidents have shown that minor carelessness and failure to follow safety rules on the ground can lead to large-scale disasters," said Han Byeong-yong, head of Seoul's Disaster and Safety Management Office. "We will do our utmost to protect the safety of both citizens and workers through thorough inspections and proactive safety management of hazardous chemical handling facilities."
ikson@heraldcorp.com
