멈춰버린 대덕산단, 단순한 '전압 강하'가 남긴 산업 현장의 씁쓸한 교훈 > K-wave Trends

The root of this power outage was an electrical facility inspection conducted by K-water at the Hyeondo Intake Station in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. During the inspection of the Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS), an unexpected voltage drop occurred, triggering a chain reaction that caused KEPCO’s circuit breakers to trip and cut off the power supply line. The issue lies in the fact that this power grid was partially shared by Hankook Tire and K-water. Consequently, companies within the nearby Daedeok Industrial Complex suffered unintended power outages, resulting in a concentrated blow to businesses using specific power lines rather than the entire industrial complex.

The hardest hit was the Hankook Tire Daejeon plant. The outage, which began around 2:30 PM, was so critical that signs of recovery only appeared after 5:00 PM. Although they attempted to maintain minimal functions in the main building using emergency generators, core production facilities were forced to stop. In particular, due to the nature of the tire manufacturing process, a power cut causes rubber materials to harden or leaves residues in the equipment, necessitating additional processing steps for a restart. Therefore, even after power supply was restored, immediate normal operation was difficult, and it is expected that actual production losses will persist for a considerable period.

Beyond Hankook Tire, major companies within the Daedeok complex, such as Hansol Paper’s Daejeon plant and Hanon Systems, also faced disruptions in equipment operation due to the momentary power loss. Relevant authorities, including the city of Daejeon, KEPCO, and K-water, moved quickly after the outage to determine the exact cause and scope of the damage. Fortunately, no casualties were reported; however, power supply interruptions in industrial settings are serious incidents that go beyond mere inconvenience, potentially damaging corporate credibility and the ability to meet delivery deadlines. Companies are now in a position where they must re-examine their own emergency power systems and strengthen response manuals to prepare for potential power grid cutoffs caused by external factors.

One perspective on this incident is the danger inherent in the interdependence of industrial infrastructure. The structural problem where a public institution's facility inspection leads to the shutdown of private companies clearly exposes the vulnerabilities of modern industrial complexes. While KEPCO drew a line by stating that this incident was not a defect in their own facilities but a problem that occurred during K-water's work, the affected companies ultimately had to bear the brunt of the loopholes in public infrastructure management. Considering the impact of public agency work on private production activities, more sophisticated advance notification systems and technical safeguards to block risks that may arise during work seem urgent.

Meanwhile, separate from this incident, Hankook Tire unveiled a brand film in collaboration with MINI Korea on the same day, emphasizing its technological prowess and racing heritage. The ironic situation—where a company solidifying its position as a high-performance tire brand in the global market had its factory halted due to power issues—represents the reality faced by industrial sites. This is because even flashy technical marketing can only demonstrate its true value when supported by a solid foundation of stable production. The process of cleaning up after the outage and normalizing the production lines will be the first step in restoring the technical credibility that Hankook Tire aims to project.