A view of POSCO’s Pohang Steelworks. (Yonhap)
POHANG, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — One subcontracted worker died and three others were injured after inhaling toxic gas at POSCO’s Pohang steelworks on Wednesday morning, reviving criticism of what labor groups call South Korea’s “outsourced danger.”
According to police and POSCO officials, the accident occurred around 9 a.m. at the stainless steel annealing and pickling plant when several workers from a subcontractor of POSCO DX were performing pre-maintenance work and were exposed to an unidentified gas.
A 54-year-old worker was killed, while three others in their 30s sustained burns but were reported to be out of life-threatening condition. Fire authorities suspect the leak involved hydrofluoric acid or nitric acid, both highly toxic substances. Police are investigating the exact cause and composition of the gas.
The incident comes just 11 days after a similar tragedy in Gyeongju, where three subcontracted workers suffocated to death while conducting underground tank work.
Other recent accidents, including a fatal rail maintenance incident in August and a sewer inspection death in July, have intensified scrutiny over subcontracting practices in hazardous industries.
Labor advocates blamed the recurrence of fatal accidents on the outsourcing of high-risk work without adequate safety oversight.
“It’s outrageous that another tragedy happened so soon after the one in Gyeongju,” said Song Moo-geun of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ Pohang branch. “Companies continue to prioritize profit over lives, showing no real sense of responsibility.”
Song added that despite the existence of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, lenient enforcement has failed to change employer attitudes toward industrial safety. “Unless we strengthen the responsibility of prime contractors,” he said, “companies will never invest properly in safety measures or treat these incidents with the gravity they deserve.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
