On June 22, a safety accident occurred at the dock of HD Hyundai Samho Shipyard in Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea, where a worker was struck by a mooring rope during operations and subsequently died. After the accident, HD Hyundai Samho issued a notice disclosing details of the major disaster.
According to the Mokpo Maritime Police Station in South Korea on June 23, around 11:25 a.m. on the 22nd, at a shipyard dock in Samho-eup, Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do, a male worker in his 40s was struck by a mooring rope during ship mooring operations and was urgently transported to a hospital for treatment. Due to the severity of his injuries, the worker died while receiving treatment.
It is reported that at the time of the accident, the worker was performing mooring operations to secure the vessel to the shipyard quay wall.
Subsequently, HD Hyundai Samho confirmed through a notice that the accident occurred at the company’s “No. 1 Dolphin Wharf B Berth.” During the vessel berthing operation, the worker was struck and killed by a mooring rope. Preliminary findings suggest the accident happened when a mooring rope suddenly snapped during the berthing of a container ship.
Industry insiders in South Korea pointed out that mooring ropes typically bear immense tension; if they snap or recoil, they release energy at extremely high speeds, easily causing severe casualties. On May 24, 2019, a similar accident occurred at Jinhae Naval Base in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, where a mooring rope snapped during the berthing of the ROKS “Choi Young” destroyer, resulting in the death of a Navy sergeant who was about to be discharged.
Currently, the South Korean Coast Guard is investigating the person in charge at HD Hyundai Samho to determine the specific cause of the accident. The South Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor will also investigate potential violations of the “Serious Accidents Punishment Act” and the “Occupational Safety and Health Act.”
HD Hyundai Samho stated that after the accident, the company immediately halted all operations using mooring ropes and sealed off the accident site. Additionally, the company plans to issue a company-wide special safety alert and organize specialized safety and health education.
In recent years, HD Hyundai Samho has experienced multiple fatal safety accidents. On January 12, 2023, a worker in his 60s from a partner company (subcontractor) of HD Hyundai Samho collapsed during work and died after being taken to the hospital. The worker suddenly collapsed while wearing an air-supplying respirator, was discovered by colleagues and immediately sent to the hospital, but never regained consciousness and was ultimately declared brain dead. This accident once again raised industry concerns about the safety of workers using air-supplying respirators. On August 15, a 41-year-old Chinese worker from a partner company of HD Hyundai Samho was checking for gas leaks after welding work on a ship tank when he was suddenly struck by an iron plate temporarily sealing the tank opening. He was rushed to the hospital but ultimately died. On December 20, a 48-year-old worker Jeong from a partner company of HD Hyundai Samho entered the lower part of a pipe structure and suffocated due to oxygen deprivation caused by an argon gas leak. On May 17, 2025, at the HD Hyundai Samho worksite, Worker A (43), who was performing assembly work related to ship welding, fell from a manhole into a cabin 3 meters below and lost consciousness. Worker A was taken to the hospital for treatment but ultimately died on May 21.
