Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae: "Support for Entry and Stay of Foreign Workers' Families Affected by Hwaseong Fire"

On the 24th, Park Seong-jae, Minister of Justice, instructed, "Since the majority of the deceased are foreign workers, please do your best to promptly support the families' entry and stay, closely cooperating with related agencies centered on the Emergency Response Headquarters established within the Ministry of Justice," regarding the fire accident that occurred at a battery factory in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do.

The Ministry of Justice announced on the same day that Minister Park conveyed his deep condolences to the bereaved families who are experiencing great shock and sorrow due to this accident. The head of the Ministry of Justice's Emergency Response Headquarters will be the Director of the Immigration Policy Division.

Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

The Ministry of Justice also formed an emergency response team at the Suwon Immigration Office, which has jurisdiction over Hwaseong-si, to carry out tasks such as identifying the identities of the foreign casualties, supporting the entry and stay of families and guardians, and providing interpretation assistance.

A Ministry of Justice official stated, "We will make every effort to support the victims by providing legal assistance for damage recovery to the casualties and their families, economic support such as medical and funeral expenses through the Prosecutor's Office Crime Victim Support Center, and psychological healing services through the Smile Center."

At 10:31 a.m. on the 24th, a fire broke out on the second floor of Building 3 at the Arisel factory in Jeongok-ri, Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong-si, resulting in the deaths of 22 workers. Among them, 2 were Korean nationals, and 20 were foreign nationals (18 Chinese, 1 Laotian, and 1 unidentified). In addition to the confirmed deceased, one more person is currently missing.