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Power plant collapse renews calls to ban multilayered subcontracting
Korea Herald | English | News | Nov. 14, 2025 | Critical Infrastructure Failure
A boiler tower collapse at the Korea East-West Power Co. site in Ulsan on November 6 resulted in the deaths or injuries of nine workers, eight of whom were subcontractors. Only one worker present was a full-time employee, with the others hired as short-term day laborers. The demolition work was subcontracted through multiple layers, with the state-run facility outsourcing to HJ Heavy Industries, which then subcontracted to Korea Kacoh. The collapse occurred during a hazardous "weakening" phase of demolition involving partial cutting of steel structures.
The incident highlighted the risks tied to South Korea's multilayered subcontracting system, where temporary and subcontracted laborers are often assigned the most dangerous tasks while major companies reduce costs and limit liability. Experts and labor groups criticized the system for prioritizing cost over worker safety and called for fundamental reform. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions condemned the accident as preventable and urged investigations into risk assessments and working conditions.
Recent parliamentary audits showed that 94.7% of industrial accident victims at Korea East-West Power Co. were subcontracted workers, the highest proportion among state-run power firms. The collapse trapped seven workers, of whom five have been recovered dead, while two remain missing. Efforts to search for the missing workers included the demolition of two nearby towers.