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Demolition of Ulsan power plant towers set for Tuesday at noon

Published: 11 Nov. 2025, 10:03 Updated: 11 Nov. 2025, 11:13

YOON SO-YEON
[email protected]

Two boiler towers obstructing the search for missing workers at the collapsed boiler tower, center, are seen at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant in Ulsan on Nov. 10. [YONHAP]

Two boiler towers obstructing the search for missing workers at the collapsed Ulsan Thermal Power Plant will be demolished at noon Tuesday, authorities announced.

Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon, who also heads the disaster control headquarters, said during a morning briefing at the scene on Tuesday that safety inspections had been completed for units No. 4 and No. 6, and that agencies within a one-kilometer (0.6-mile) radius of the planned blast site had been notified.

The demolition targets are boiler towers No. 4 and No. 6, which stand on either side of tower No. 5 — the structure that collapsed in the accident.

The two towers have already undergone a weakening process in which steel frames and support columns were partially cut to ensure a controlled collapse. Explosives have also been installed.

The demolition will use a directional blasting technique designed to bring the towers down away from the remains of No. 5 and toward land — not the sea. Whether the towers fall in the intended direction will determine the success of the operation.

If successful, the demolition will allow search teams to fully access the wreckage of No. 5, where four workers remain buried.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL, YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]