Prime Minister Han Duck-soo visited on Monday afternoon the site of the fire that broke out at a lithium battery production plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. 

After being briefed on the latest details of the accident from the interior and safety minister and the head of the National Fire Agency, Han instructed related agencies to exert best efforts in search and rescue operations and toward the safety of firefighters at the scene. 

While expressing condolences to the victims of the blaze, the prime minister ordered related agencies to take all necessary steps to provide support for the victims’ funerals. 

Citing that many of the deceased and missing are foreign workers, the prime minister also instructed the foreign ministry to promptly set up and operate a system to cooperate with the diplomatic missions of related countries. 

He then ordered the energy ministry and fire agency to immediately conduct safety checks on factories and facilities that are vulnerable to risks similar to the Hwaseong plant. 

The fire agency and the National Police Agency were ordered to determine the exact cause of the fire and to promptly establish measures to prevent similar incidents.