Kumho Tire suspends production after factory fire in Gwangju
Published: 17 May. 2025, 13:47
Updated: 17 May. 2025, 14:58
![Smoke billows from a Kumho Tire plant in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 17 [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/17/7697afaa-73f3-470d-b97d-ee770c5e2f92.jpg)
Smoke billows from a Kumho Tire plant in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 17 [YONHAP]
The fire began at the company's plant in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers (167 miles) south of Seoul, at around 7:11 a.m., causing some 400 workers on duty to evacuate.
"All production will be suspended until the situation is controlled," a company official told Yonhap.
Both the company and fire authorities have confirmed that a male employee in his 20s has suffered injuries. The employee was transferred to a nearby hospital for injuries that are not life-threatening.
The fire is suspected to have started from equipment used for heating raw rubber.
Some 167 personnel and 65 pieces of fire-extinguishing equipment have been mobilized to extinguish the fire.
Fire authorities said it may take several days to completely extinguish the fire, noting that about 20 tons of raw rubber were stored at the factory, hampering firefighting efforts.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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