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Korea East-West Power issues apology following tower collapse at Ulsan power plant

Published: 13 Nov. 2025, 14:02 Updated: 13 Nov. 2025, 16:34

Kwon Myung-ho, third from right, president of Korea East-West Power, bows in apology along with company executives at the rear gate of the Ulsan thermal power plant where a boiler tower collapsed, on the morning of Nov. 13, a week after the accident. [YONHAP]

Korea East-West Power and contractor HJ Shipbuilding & Construction issued their first formal apology and vowed to keep searching for the last missing worker on Thursday, a week after a boiler tower collapsed at the Ulsan thermal power plant and left multiple workers dead.

The two companies said they would “never give up until the last person is recovered.”

"I pray for the souls of those who lost their lives. I am sorry for causing concern to the families and the public," Korea East-West Power President Kwon Myung-ho said during his statement at the site.

He thanked rescue workers and government agencies, noting the difficult conditions they continued to face. “I deeply appreciate the rescue personnel and all those from the Central Accident Control Headquarters, the National Fire Agency, the National Police Agency, Ulsan City and Nam District Office, as well as volunteers,” he said.

Kwon Myung-ho, center, president of Korea East-West Power, delivers the company’s first public statement on the boiler tower collapse at the rear gate of the Ulsan thermal power plant on the morning of Nov. 13. [YONHAP]

Kwon said the company was providing support across all departments. “We are working with the contractor to ensure swift support for families and victims and quick site management. We will clearly determine the cause of the accident and prepare effective measures.”

He pledged a full review of dismantling procedures for aging facilities, saying “About 60 coal-fired units are scheduled to be shut down in stages. We will work with the government and experts to strengthen safety measures so that the pain of this accident is not repeated.”

Asked by reporters why the company waited almost eight days to issue a formal statement, Kwon said, “We focused on rescue activities, and investigations and probes are still underway. We will take responsibility for what we must, depending on the results.”

Kim Wan-seok, CEO of HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, delivers the company’s first public statement following the boiler tower collapse at the rear gate of the Ulsan thermal power plant on the morning of Nov. 13. [YONHAP]

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction CEO Kim Wan-seok also visited the scene and bowed in apology.

“My heart breaks when I think of those who lay beneath the cold debris,” he said. “I offer my apology to the families who will carry an unforgettable wound for the rest of their lives.”

Kim said the company was concentrating all efforts on recovering the final missing worker, and added that “about 60 employees also visited the families to convey our apology.”

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 KIM YOUN-HO [[email protected]]