Gwangju: Kumho Tire Co. suspended production at its Gwangju plant on Saturday after a massive fire engulfed a major section of the facility, prompting authorities to issue a nationwide firefighting mobilization order as the blaze continued to spread.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the fire started around 7:11 a.m. at the factory in Gwangju, approximately 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The blaze rapidly spread through plant buildings, with flames reportedly reaching as high as 100 meters, fire officials reported. By 5 p.m., about 70 percent of the western section of the factory, a space roughly equivalent to five football fields, was consumed by the fire. Firefighters focused on preventing the flames from spreading to the southern section, which is separated from the west.
The National Fire Agency issued a nationwide fire mobilization order, enabling firefighting personnel and equipment from neighboring regions to be deployed to the site. Kumho Tire, South Korea’s second-largest tire maker, confirmed that all production at the plant has been halted. Approximately 400 workers present at the time were evacuated, though one male employee in his 20s suffered injuries and was transported to a local hospital; his injuries are not considered life-threatening. Additionally, two firefighters sustained injuries during the extinguishing operation.
Around 75 nearby residents were evacuated to temporary shelters due to heavy smoke in the area. The fire is suspected to have originated from equipment used for heating raw rubber. Authorities indicated it might take several days to completely extinguish the fire, with approximately 20 tons of raw rubber stored at the factory complicating firefighting efforts.
The production suspension is anticipated to disrupt tire supplies to major South Korean automakers, including Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. Specifically, certain models of Hyundai Motor’s Casper crossover city car use tires manufactured by Kumho Tire. Industry insiders predict this incident will significantly impact Kumho Tire’s earnings beyond the second quarter.
The company posted 4.5 trillion won (US$3.21 billion) in sales and 590.6 billion won in operating profit last year and has set a target of 5 trillion won in sales for 2025, with first-quarter revenue already reaching 1.2 trillion won. Kumho Tire pledged to make every effort to minimize the fallout from the accident. “With the fire now under control, we will soon be able to announce our estimated losses and outline plans for relocating our production lines,” a company official stated.