The Deasan Petrochemical Complex, where LG CHEM and LOTTE Chemical's factories are located in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, experienced a power outage on the morning of the 25th, halting operations for about three hours. The estimated damage from this incident is expected to reach several billion won.

On the 25th, the supply of electricity was cut off at LG CHEM and LOTTE Chemical in the Daesan Petrochemical Complex in Seosan, causing factory operations to halt while the work of burning the raw materials used in the production process was underway, resulting in black smoke billowing from the chimney. / Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

According to LG CHEM and LOTTE Chemical, a power outage occurred around 9:30 a.m., and operations at both companies' factories were halted until power was restored around 12 p.m. Both companies activated their emergency generators; however, they were unable to meet the total power demand of all their equipment, causing the factories to stop.

As production facilities stopped, both companies carried out operations to burn the raw materials that had been inputted into the production process. During this process, thick black smoke billowed from the smokestacks along with flames, leading local residents to mistakenly report it as a wildfire.

Both companies expect that it will take at least two to three days for their factories to return to normal operations after conducting inspections of the production processes. The government and Korea Electric Power Corporation are investigating the specific cause of the incident.

Although power was restored relatively quickly, inspections of the equipment and processes must be conducted before the factories can resume operations. Both companies stated that they have sufficient inventory, so there should be no major issues with product delivery.

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