[Unofficial Korean-to-English translation provided by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

"31-year-old worker dies again in Hanwha Ocean shipyard...Union says worker was not the documented subcontractor," 25 January 2024

A 31-year-old worker was killed in a fatal accident at the Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) shipyard in Geoje, Gyeongnam. Twelve days after a 28-year-old worker lost his life in an explosion while making rudders for ships at the same shipyard.

[...] Mr. A (31) was found unconscious at 4:15 p.m. on the 24th at Hanwha Ocean's Geoje shipyard, where he was diving to remove foreign objects from the hull.

[...] Hanwha Ocean announced that production at Okpo Shipyard was suspended from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. that day for special safety and health training to eliminate serious accidents following the fatal accident the day before.

[...] the Korean Federation of Trade Unions said [...], "In the case of this accident, it was found that the worker authorized in the dangerous work permit and the actual worker (Mr. A) were different people [...]. This reveals the reality that Hanwha Ocean is unable to properly manage even basic safety."

Hanwha Ocean issued a statement on the same day saying, "We are deeply sorry for the loss of the deceased. The company immediately reported the accident to the police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor and is doing its best to identify the exact cause."