Yang Ki-wook of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy says gas accidents hit record low last year
![Yang Ki-wook, director general for industrial resources and energy security at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy [The Herald Business DB]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/15/news-p.v1.20260305.c2425a0846cd40e89dcafd46115ee2e4_P1.jpg)
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the 33rd Korea Gas Safety Awards on Tuesday at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
The annual awards, established in 1994, recognize industry figures who have contributed to gas safety and the development of the gas industry, and aim to promote a culture of gas safety.
The ceremony was attended by Yang Ki-wook, director general for industrial resources and energy security at the ministry; Park Kyung-kook, president of the Korea Gas Safety Corporation; Nam Hwa-young, president of the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation; and Song Jae-ho, chairman of the Korea City Gas Association. A total of 13 government commendations — including the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Merit — and 25 ministerial citations were presented to individuals and organizations.
Ahn Young-hoon, chief executive of Northeast Asia LNG Hub Terminal, received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Merit for leading the construction of South Korea's first LNG terminal and securing proprietary design technology for large-capacity storage tanks.
The Industrial Service Medal went to Cheon Seong-heun, chief executive of Hanbik Cryo, for contributing to the localization of cryogenic vessel technology, and to Lee Sang-geun, executive director at Kolon Industries, for achieving 33 consecutive years without a safety incident in the high-pressure gas sector.
"Gas accidents fell to 65 cases last year, the lowest on record," Yang said. "The government will continue to pursue rational regulatory reform to support industrial development while building a comprehensive gas safety management system."
oskymoon@heraldcorp.com
