Samsung Engineering CEO dismissed

By Kim Yoo-chul

Samsung Group fired Park Ki-seok, CEO of Samsung Engineering, Thursday, holding him accountable for a water tank explosion that killed three employees and injured more than 10 others.

A water tank burst during a stress test at a polysilicon plant construction site inside Samsung Fine Chemicals in Ulsan, about 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

“The chief executive of the engineering unit of the group was fired over the latest accident. Samsung appointed Park Jung-heom as the new president at the affiliate,” Samsung’s chief communications officer Rhee In-yong told reporters at the company’s main office in Seocho-dong, northern Seoul.

The 1,300-ton water tank was being filled to detect any cracks as part of a stress test, however, it suddenly blew out at the 1,000 ton mark, police said. Workers were hit by flying debris and the tank’s support structure.

Samsung Engineering was constructing the tank for SMP, a joint venture between Samsung Fine Chemical and MEMC of the United States.

Right after the accident, Samsung blocked reporters from the scene.

“We are investigating the accident and we may fire other executives if they are found responsible for any misconduct,” said the group.

In order to prevent a recurrence, the group said it will invest a total of 1.1 trillion won to increase the safety of working conditions at manufacturing facilities of all the group’s affiliates.

“We will set up a guideline and hire more employees who only handle environmental-related issues,” said the statement.

In the meantime, the group said that Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee was angered at the accident after being briefed by top Samsung management including corporate office head Choi Gee-sung.

“This is a thing that shouldn’t be accepted,” the chairman was quoted as saying by a group official.