Electrolyte waste safely collected following deadly Aricell factory blaze

A team of firefighters and forensic workers conduct a joint investigation on Tuesday at a lithium battery plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, where a fire broke out on Monday, resulting in 23 deaths. [YONHAP]

Some 1,200 liters (73,200 quarts) of electrolyte waste at Aricell's lithium battery plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, has been safely collected and disposed of following a fatal blaze earlier this week, the government said on Friday.

Electrolytes, which conduct electric current through dissociation into positively and negatively charged particles, are highly volatile and can cause fires when mixed with air.

"Around 1,200 liters of waste electrolyte on the first floor of the battery plant was collected to prevent further damages," said Min Gil-soo, head of the regional accident response headquarters at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, in a briefing Friday morning.

The process took about nine hours, starting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and ending around 1 a.m. on Thursday, he added.

Following Monday's deadly fire at Aricell's battery plant, which claimed the lives of 23 workers, Min said the ministry has launched an investigation team to look into allegations of illegal hiring practices at Aricell.

Min said the investigation team will thoroughly check for any legal violations and hold those responsible accountable.

The ministry is particularly examining whether Aricell had directly issued work orders to foreign day workers hired by subcontractors, which is an illegal practice.

Under Korean law, there is a distinction between dispatched workers and subcontracted workers. Dispatched workers receive direct orders from contractors, while subcontracted workers receive orders from their suppliers.

A dispatched worker is permitted only in industries requiring specialized knowledge, which does not include the type of work performed at the Aricell factory. Thus, if the factory gave direct orders to foreign workers, it would be considered illegal hiring.

On Tuesday, Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan visited the fire site and denied any illegal hiring practices, claiming that the deceased foreign workers were subcontracted and received orders from their suppliers.

However, the subcontractor Maycell has testified to the police that the workers were "illegally dispatched."

The identities of all 23 victims of the fire were confirmed on Thursday, three days after the blaze. Many of the victims were foreign workers.

"We will work to address any difficulties faced by the bereaved families in real time by sharing progress updates from each department," Min said, noting that a support system, including assistance with funerals, legal matters and compensation processes, has been provided to the families.

A meeting involving government officials will be held on Sunday to address the fatal blaze in Hwaseong.

The People Power Party (PPP) announced on Friday that the meeting, which will include senior government officials and ruling PPP members, will take place on Sunday morning at the minister's official residence in Seoul.

The participants will discuss measures to repair the damage at Aricell's primary battery factory and prevent further fires.

Additionally, Hwaseong city announced on Friday that it will launch a new body dealing with industry safety under the auspices of the city-run Hwaseong Industry Promotion Agency.

This body will include two teams of 10 people dedicated to safeguarding companies and workers in Hwaseong.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]