LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo on Wednesday took an urgent helicopter ride to LG Chem’s catalyst lab in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, after a fire at the facility killed one worker and injured two others the previous day.

Due to the accident, a 39-year-old researcher was killed and two workers, aged 47 and 27, suffered second-degree burns to the face and neck and were sent to a nearby hospital, according to fire authorities.

At the site, Koo called for the management including LG Chem Vice Chairman Shin Hak-cheol to “devise fundamental measures from square one at all costs."

“The reason companies collapse overnight is not because of their bad performance but because of their failure to manage risks such as quality accidents and unsafe environments,” Koo said.

Koo also expressed his deepest condolences and sympathies to victims and their families inflicted by the fire accident here and the recent gas leak at LG Polymers’ plant in India.

After a gas leak at the LG Polymers plant in southern India, which left 12 dead and around 1,000 local residents hospitalized, LG Chem formed a special task force, promising support for victims and bereaved families.

“I apologize for causing worries for so many people,” Koo said.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)