Due to the frequent occurrence of major casualties, on April 23, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) rated Hanwha Ocean as the “region’s worst murderous company”. Other shipbuilders named include Samsung Heavy Industries, Chosok H.D., and Kumkang Heavy Industries.
In 2024, there were 49 serious accidents in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, which were investigated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, resulting in 52 deaths. In the same year, the shipbuilder with the highest number of deaths in South Korea were located in Goseong, Tongyeong, and Geoje, which are under the jurisdiction of the Tongyeong Labor Department in South Gyeongsang Province. Among them, Hanwha Ocean had the highest number of deaths.
- On January 12, 2024, an explosion occurred in one of the production workshops at Hanwha Ocean Geoje Shipyard, and an outsourced worker who was grinding in the workshop was thrown out by the shock wave of the explosion and was sent to the hospital where he died.
- On January 24, an outsourced worker was found unconscious while diving to remove a foreign object from the hull of a ship and was pronounced dead after being sent to the hospital.
- On August 19, an outsourced paint worker was found unconscious near the engine room of a ship under construction and was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.
- On September 9, an outsourced worker fell from a height of about 30 meters on the top of a container ship under construction to the bottom of the ship and died after being sent to the hospital.
“The union has pointed out problems with Hanwha Ocean’s safety management system, but Hanwha Ocean has not improved and shipbuilding operations have continued, leading to the deaths of workers in a series of serious accidents,” the KCTU’s Gyeongsangnam-do headquarters said.
As for Samsung Heavy Industries, on January 18, 2024, an outsourced worker at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje Shipyard fell from the stairs several meters high in the shipyard workshop and was pronounced dead after being sent to the hospital; on August 19, a painter worker in his 60s from an outsourced company was found unconscious inside the shipyard container toilet and was subsequently sent to the hospital for treatment. He was said to be dead when he was found; on September 30, a 25-ton trailer collided with a bicycle traveling in front, causing the worker to fall and die.
On April 27, 2024, an explosion and fire occurred in the engine room of a ship to be repaired at the Chosok H.D. in Geoje City when a diluent was used to clean oil stains, killing 2 people and injuring 11 people. An explosion occurred on April 29, May 3, and May 11.
At 8:40 am on May 9, 2024, a block dumping accident occurred at Kumkang Heavy Industries, killing two workers. The incident occurred when the workers were carrying out hydraulic press leveling operations on a 121.3-ton, 34.2-meter wide and 15.8-meter long segment on a stand when the structure suddenly lost its center of gravity and tipped over, crushing two workers to death.
The KCTU Gyeongsangnam-do headquarters said, “Workers are exposed to great risks in ship repair works and the related management system is inadequate, especially when shipowners or ship repair yards lease non-trade port areas (such as Choseok H.D.) to conduct ship repair operations, which can lead to even greater blind spots, thus calling for system reforms.”
In 2024, a total of 17 workers died in major shipyard accidents in South Korea, of which 11 died in Tongyeong alone, accounting for 65%. Shipyards failed to take preventive measures. We call for penalties for workplaces where serious accidents occur and for workers to be given real power to stop dangerous work immediately.