Jung Il-taek, CEO of Kumho Tire, visited the fire site at the Gwangju plant on the 18th and said, "I will work to minimize the inconvenience for residents near the Gwangju plant who are in evacuation."
The CEO issued an apology in the morning that day, saying, "I will do my best to restore the fire damage," while bowing his head.
He added, "I sincerely apologize. I will prioritize cooperation with relevant agencies, including the fire authorities, to extinguish the fire."
The CEO remarked, "I will determine the exact cause and establish measures to prevent this from happening again," adding, "I will form an emergency response team to cooperate in all processes."
A fire broke out at the Kumho Tire plant in Gwangju, Gwangsan District, at around 7:11 a.m. the previous day, injuring three people, including one employee and two firefighters.
The fire authorities issued a national fire mobilization order and continued overnight firefighting efforts, while 182 residents from 97 households in nearby apartments moved to a shelter set up at the Gwangju Women's University gym.