Disposal of 1,200ℓ Residual Waste Electrolyte from Arisel Fire

Minor Incident Response Headquarters Chief "Will Thoroughly Investigate Illegal Dispatch of Workers"

The disposal work of the remaining waste electrolyte from the fire at Arisel, a primary battery manufacturer located in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, was completed in the early morning of the 28th.

Min Gilsu, Head of the Regional Accident Response Headquarters (Central Employment and Labor Office Chief), stated at the 'Hwaseong Arisel Factory Fire Accident Regional Accident Response Headquarters Briefing' held at Hwaseong City Hall on the same day, "To prevent further damage, the collection and disposal work of approximately 1,200 liters of waste electrolyte remaining on the first floor of the accident factory building was carried out from 4 p.m. the previous day until 12:50 a.m. today and was safely completed." Electrolyte is a substance that serves as a pathway for electrons to move between the anode and cathode inside the battery.

At the Ariseng Factory Fire Memorial Altar set up in the lobby on the first floor of Hwaseong City Hall, mourners are paying tribute to the victims on the 28th. [Yonhap News]

Head Min also disclosed the status of 23 confirmed deceased victims as of the previous day. Among the deceased, 5 were Korean, and the foreign nationals were by nationality ▲17 Chinese ▲1 Laotian. By gender, 6 were male and 17 were female. The visa types of the foreign deceased were 12 Overseas Korean Visas (F-4), 1 Permanent Resident Visa, 2 Marriage Immigrant Visas (F-6), and 3 Visit Employment Visas (H-2).

Regarding the illegal dispatch issue of Arisel workers, Head Min said that an investigation team has been formed at the Gyeonggi Employment and Labor Office and is currently investigating, and that they will thoroughly verify any legal violations and take strict measures in the future. Arisel is suspected of dispatching foreign workers to the direct manufacturing process, where dispatching workers is prohibited.

Head Min stated, "At the request of the victims' bereaved families, related agencies have guided the families on funeral, legal support, and compensation procedures," and added, "We will strive to resolve the families' difficulties in real time through daily situation sharing among agencies."