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[Alpha Biz=(Chicago) Reporter Paul Lee] Kia's Gwangju plant has been shut down in the wake of a safety accident at a partner company that supplies essential parts. Because of this, there is a production disruption of up to 2,000 units a day, but the production interruption period is not expected to be long.
According to industry sources on the 9th, a worker was hit and killed by a forklift in operation at Kia's first partner Punggi industrial plant in Buk-gu, Gwangju, at around 7:40 a.m. on the 7th.
As the labor supervisor of the Ministry of Employment and Labor later ordered the suspension of work at the Punggi industry plant, shipments of body and cowl crossbar parts supplied by Punggi Industry to Kia's Gwangju plant were also suspended.
As the supply of essential parts was cut off, Kia stopped all production lines at its first, second and third plants in Gwangju from 6:40 p.m. on the 7th. "It is difficult to operate the Gwangju plant until the suspension of work in the Punggi industry is lifted," a Kia official said. "At the moment, it is difficult to procure alternative parts elsewhere."
Kia's Gwangju plant has stopped, and about 2,000 production disruptions are expected per day. Kia produces Sportage, Soul, Celltos and Bongo trucks at its Gwangju plant.
However, the shutdown period of the Gwangju plant is not expected to be long. This is because it is possible to procure parts as soon as the order to stop work is lifted because the accident of the partner company occurred at a place other than the production line. Kia's other factories in Gwangmyeong and Hwasung in Gyeonggi Province are unaffected.
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
