Seoul: Three researchers tragically lost their lives due to suffocation during vehicle testing at a Hyundai Motor facility in Ulsan, South Korea, on Tuesday afternoon. The victims included two Hyundai employees and one subcontractor, who were discovered unconscious in a test chamber around 3 p.m.
Despite being rushed to nearby hospitals, all three were pronounced dead shortly after arrival, as confirmed by company officials and local authorities. Initial investigations suggest that they may have suffocated from toxic gas exposure in the enclosed testing environment.
Authorities have launched a police investigation to determine the precise cause of the incident and have requested autopsies to further investigate the deaths. The labor ministry has dispatched inspectors to the site to assess the situation and evaluate compliance with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which holds business owners and executives accountable for severe industrial accidents resulting in fatalities or serious injuries, imposing penalties of up to one billion won (approximately $717,360) or imprisonment for at least one year.
Hyundai Motor has expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased and committed to taking all necessary measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
In related news, Hyundai recently appointed Jose Munoz, its global chief operating officer, as the new CEO, marking the first time a foreign national has held the position since the company’s inception over fifty years ago. Munoz, who has previously worked with Nissan, will officially start his role at the beginning of next year. His promotion is viewed as a strategic move to enhance Hyundai’s operations in the United States, especially following the recent reelection of former President Donald Trump.