59 Taken to Hospital as Grand Josun Jeju Launches Response Measures: "Comprehensive Review of Operating Procedures"

[Financial News | Jeju—Jung Yong-bok, Reporter] Grand Josun Jeju, where 59 guests and employees were taken to hospitals after a chlorine gas accident, has suspended operations at the affected facility and will conduct a comprehensive review of its facilities and operating procedures. Operator Josun Hotels & Resorts has issued an official apology in the name of its CEO and begun working on support measures for affected customers and plans to prevent a recurrence.
According to Josun Hotels & Resorts on the 2nd, CEO Choi Hoon-hak issued an official statement the previous day, saying, "I sincerely apologize for causing inconvenience and concern to our customers through the accident that occurred at the swimming pool of Grand Josun Jeju."
The company suspended operations at the facility immediately after the accident. Separately from the investigation by the relevant authorities, it is checking the safety condition of the facility and reviewing its operating procedures.
The key aspect of the follow-up measures is that their scope has been expanded beyond a facility inspection to include the work processes that caused the accident and the management system.
CEO Choi said, "We recognize this matter as extremely serious," adding, "Along with determining the exact cause, we will comprehensively review the relevant facilities and operating procedures and establish the necessary improvements and measures to prevent a recurrence."
Depending on the investigation results, the review is expected to cover the storage and identification of pool disinfectants, the process of adding them, worker training and management and supervision, as well as verification procedures before and after mixing the chemicals. The need to inspect emergency response procedures for notifying users of the danger and evacuating them immediately after the accident has also grown.

Support for affected customers has also been formalized. Choi said, "We will make every effort to ensure that the necessary support and follow-up measures are provided promptly, with the safety and recovery of our customers as our top priority."
The accident occurred at around 10:40 a.m. on the 1st at Grand Josun Jeju in the Jungmun Tourist Complex in Seogwipo City.
Fire authorities believe chlorine gas was generated when a hotel employee mixed disinfectants while managing the swimming pool and used the wrong proportions.
A total of 59 guests, employees, and pool users complained of nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and headaches and were taken to hospitals. No patients are currently believed to be in life-threatening condition.
The chlorine gas concentration measured at the scene at 1:17 p.m. on the day of the accident was 50 ppm. This was 50 times the 1 ppm permissible level cited by fire authorities. Forty minutes later, at 1:57 p.m., it had fallen to 2 ppm.
Police and fire authorities are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident, focusing on the process of adding the disinfectant, compliance with safety rules, and the training, management, and supervision of workers.

The scope of responsibility for the accident is also expected to become clearer based on the investigation results. Key questions include whether the incident was caused by one worker's mistake in mixing the chemicals and whether there were problems with the verification procedures and management and supervision systems that should have prevented the wrong chemicals from being added.
The initial evacuation and protective measures also need to be examined. Some guests claimed that they did not receive immediate evacuation instructions during the accident and that the masks used by employees were not provided sufficiently to users.
The hotel explained that it announced the evacuation through public-address announcements and visits to guest rooms, but some users in bathrooms or saunas may not have heard the announcements. It also said that some users may not have received masks in time because of confusion at the scene.
Accordingly, the investigation by the relevant authorities is expected to examine not only the cause of the chemical-mixing error but also the sequence of events—from when the hotel became aware of the abnormal situation to the reporting of the incident, evacuation, and protective measures for users.
Josun Hotels & Resorts plans to cooperate with the investigation by the relevant authorities, improve the related facilities and operating procedures based on the findings, and establish measures to prevent a recurrence.


[email protected] Jung Yong-bok Reporter