Translation result.
On March 12, the National Fire Agency visited the SK Hynix campus in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. It conducted an on-site safety inspection and convened an expert panel on fire prevention.
Acting Fire Commissioner Kim Seung-ryong toured Campus 4 (M15) and inspected the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and NAND flash production lines with key officials, including Kim Hyung-hwan, SK Hynix vice president and head of the Safety, Environment and Health division.
The inspection centered on safety management in critical processes and utility zones—power, HVAC, and gas—as well as the handling and storage of hazardous materials and the maintenance of automated fire-detection systems. Inspectors also evaluated emergency-response functions for key equipment and reviewed the operation of the on-site safety training center and the company’s initial firefighting response team.
The panel that followed included committee members from the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association and specialists in fire safety, architectural/mechanical engineering, and electrical safety. They discussed process-specific fire risks and prevention measures.
At the meeting, the National Fire Agency outlined regulatory improvements aimed at supporting the semiconductor industry. It highlighted a case in which a pool of subject-matter experts was mobilized for new advanced-fab construction, cutting performance-focused design review times from 2–3 months to 2–3 weeks. The agency also cited an April 2024 exception to the separate-contracting rule for fire-safety construction—introduced to prevent the overseas transfer of advanced national technologies—and pledged ongoing policy support.
Acting Fire Commissioner Kim Seung-ryong said, “The semiconductor industry is a national strategic asset, so impeccable safety management is essential. We will implement prevention-focused safety measures optimized for advanced industrial sites, guided by expert input.”
Kim Sun-ho, Reporter (okcomputer@viva100.com)
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