Fire breaks out at domestic goods plant in North Chungcheong, prompting high-level rescue response
Published: 30 Jan. 2026, 18:44
![A fire burns at a materials factory in Duseong-ri, Maengdong-myeon, Eumseong County, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 30. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/30/6a226f61-035c-44f7-af81-bfd9f878ff89.jpg)
A fire burns at a materials factory in Duseong-ri, Maengdong-myeon, Eumseong County, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 30. [NEWS1]
A fire broke out at around 2:55 p.m. Friday at a household goods manufacturing plant in Maengdong-myeon, Eumseong County, North Chungcheong, and spread to a nearby factory.
Fire officials issued a Level 1 response at 3:20 p.m. and raised it to Level 2 five minutes later, deploying 105 personnel, 56 pieces of equipment and four helicopters to put out the blaze. The fire had spread to a nearby circuit breaker manufacturer.
Of the 83 employees working at the plant at the time, 81 evacuated, but two workers remained unaccounted for: a Nepali national and an Uzbek national.
“Two workers are not answering their phones, so we have not been able to confirm their locations,” a fire official said.
Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung instructed related agencies, including the National Fire Agency, the National Police Agency, North Chungcheong Provincial Governmemt and Eumseong County Government, to mobilize all available personnel and equipment to focus on rescue efforts and firefighting.
![A fire burns at a materials factory in Duseong-ri, Maengdong-myeon, Eumseong County, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 30. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/30/e40edea5-cfd5-486d-8170-0e1c869399d4.jpg)
A fire burns at a materials factory in Duseong-ri, Maengdong-myeon, Eumseong County, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 30. [NEWS1]
The plant produces items such as wet wipes and diapers and is not believed to handle hazardous chemicals or other dangerous materials, according to authorities.
Embers from the factory fire were carried by the wind and spread to a nearby hillside about 500 meters (1,650 feet) away, but that brush fire was extinguished at 4:10 p.m.
Fire authorities said they plan to investigate the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage once the flames are fully contained.
BY CHOI JONG-KWON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)