Lotte Wellfood (280360.KS) apologized on the 21st for an ammonia gas leak at its Yeongdeungpo plant in Seoul and pledged to conduct thorough safety inspections and put measures in place to prevent a recurrence.
In an official statement issued that day, the company said, "We bow our heads and deeply apologize for the great concern caused to nearby residents and customers by the gas leak that occurred at our Yeongdeungpo plant early this morning."
The ammonia gas leaked at around 5:30 a.m. from the Lotte Wellfood Yeongdeungpo plant near Seonyudo Station in Yangpyeong-dong 5-ga, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, prompting firefighters to respond. Completed in 1969, the Yeongdeungpo plant is one of Lotte Wellfood's main production facilities, manufacturing gum, candy, chocolate and ice cream. Yeongdeungpo-gu sent disaster text alerts advising nearby residents to stay indoors and urging drivers in the area to take detours.
The company said that immediately after the accident, on-site workers evacuated on their own according to protocol, and that no injuries were confirmed. "We reported the incident to 119 as soon as we became aware of it, and the responding fire authorities completed shutting off the main gas valve at around 5:52 a.m.," Lotte Wellfood said. "Afterward, related agencies including the fire department, the district office and the environmental agency conducted precise measurements of residual gas concentrations at the plant and in the surrounding area, and the final result came back as 'not detected,' so the emergency was safely brought to an end."
The company added, "We have consistently placed safety as our top priority, carrying out regular facility safety inspections and emergency response drills for our employees," and said, "In connection with this accident, we will once again closely review our company-wide safety management system and swiftly pursue any necessary corrective measures to do everything possible to prevent a recurrence." It also stressed, "We will cooperate sincerely and transparently with the relevant agencies' investigation into the cause, and we will conduct safety inspections of the facility and prepare measures to prevent this from happening again."
