[Interview/News Hunters: A staff member forced the machine open, and there was a massive amount of high-temperature water inside. It poured all over my feet, causing severe burns.]
A man in his 40s suffered burns due to a malfunction of a high-pressure autoclave at an institution affiliated with a local government in North Chungcheong Province.
The victim, who has been cultivating wild-simulated ginseng for over 11 years, was undergoing equipment training at the government-affiliated facility last August to process his ginseng into health functional beverages when the accident occurred.
At the time, a staff member at the facility forced open the lid of the high-pressure autoclave before the pressure had fully dissipated, causing boiling water to spill out and submerge the victim's feet.
The victim was diagnosed with deep second-degree burns requiring three weeks of treatment, and he continues to suffer from pain even a year after the accident.
Medical professionals have indicated that the pain could persist for approximately three years.
What is even more baffling is the response immediately following the accident.
[Interview/News Hunters: Even after the accident happened, everyone just stood there. They didn't even call 119 (emergency services). I had to call them myself and take the ambulance myself.]
It was the victim himself who called 119 while in extreme pain.
The victim reported that the facility staff did not take immediate action, assuming that "someone else would do it."
[Official/News Hunters: If I had pointed to a specific person and told them to call, they probably would have. But everyone just thought someone else was doing it, since there were several people there.]
The institution explained that they did not provide protective gear to the victim because he was an observer rather than a trainee. However, critics argue this explanation lacks credibility, given that he was in the same hazardous area.
[Lee Kyung-min, Attorney/News Hunters: Dangerous equipment was in the same space. Whether I am a person receiving training or just a simple participant... there is absolutely no reason for safety measures to differ, is there?]
The staff member who operated the machine has been referred to the prosecution on charges of professional negligence resulting in injury. The institution has raised the possibility of a device defect, and the National Forensic Service is currently conducting a detailed investigation.
Reported by Lee Se-young | Video Editing by Choi Kang-san and Kim Na-on | Video Source: News Hunters | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
Subtitled News: Scalded by Pressurized Boiling Water, Victim Left to Fend for Himself as Staff Watched
By 이세영 에디터 | Jun 13, 2026
