Kia employee found dead after fire at plant in Gwangmyeong

A fire broke out at a Kia factory in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi on Wednesday morning, killing one employee. [NEWS1]

An employee was found dead after a fire broke out at a Kia factory in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi on Wednesday morning, according to a report released by the Gwangmyeong city government.

The fire broke out in a container used as a rest area for employees at 6:05 a.m. Officials arrived at the scene at 6:11 a.m. and the fire was contained by 6:48 a.m.

The employee, working for Kia, was found in cardiac arrest near the fire and moved to a nearby hospital. He was a man in his 60s responsible for facility maintenance and was working the night shift on Tuesday.

According to local media, it is possible that the employee set himself on fire to protest the labor union’s agreement with the company. But “nothing has been made clear,” according to the union.

Kia delayed a signing ceremony for the agreement scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday morning at the Gwangmyeong plant. The company also temporarily stopped production line from 6:50 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for the on-site investigation.

A new date for the signing ceremony has not been set yet. The police began an investigation and have “found no evidence of a crime so far.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]