Factory fires in South Korea have claimed 61 lives and injured 851 people over the past five years, with the average annual number of fires exceeding 2,000, according to the National Fire Agency. A recent blaze at a Daejeon auto parts factory left 14 workers dead and 60 injured.

From 2021 to 2025, a total of 10,915 factory fires were reported nationwide. Experts warn that factories, which store large quantities of flammable materials in enclosed structures, can quickly turn into major disasters once a fire breaks out.

Property damage from factory fires reached 240.9 billion won ($159.3 million) in 2021 and climbed to 391.6 billion won in 2025, totaling 1.8 trillion won over five years, an annual average of 360 billion won.

By industry, metal products and machinery factories recorded the most fires (3,342), followed by food processing (2,823) and chemical factories (679). Electrical malfunctions caused 39.6 percent of the fires, while workers' negligence accounted for 25.9 percent and mechanical failures for 23.3 percent.\


don@heraldcorp.com