Hyundai department store side of "outlet fire" reveals that it was pressing bereaved families to settle out of court = Korea

Hyundai Department Store has requested that the bereaved families of the victims of the fire at the Hyundai Premium Outlets in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon City, South Korea, seek compensation for damages out of court. The cause of the accident has not yet been properly investigated, and the funeral has not yet been completed.

According to a report by the Hankook Economic Daily on September 29th, Hyundai Department Store met with the bereaved family of the Daejeon Hyundai Outlet fire accident the day before to discuss a compensation plan. The bereaved family of a subcontractor employee who passed away in the accident said, "The day before, an official from Hyundai Department Store came to the funeral home with a calculation table for damages and demanded a settlement."

According to the Hankook Keizai Shimbun, according to the settlement plan obtained from Hyundai Department Store, Hyundai Department Store will consider the age at the time of the accident, expected life expectancy, monthly income, etc. In addition, a considerable amount of bonus will be paid additionally.

Mr. A, a bereaved family member, said, "Suddenly he came to the funeral home and told us that this is the maximum amount of security deposit that we can provide, so we want you to decide quickly. It must be difficult to accept mourners and calm down but it's too bad," he said.

Analysts are analyzing that Hyundai Department Store's rush to settle the damage compensation is a choice to quickly quell the controversy surrounding the accident, which is growing day by day.

An official from Hyundai Department Store, who presented the bereaved family with a settlement plan, said, "I came to meet with you to show my utmost sincerity regarding the compensation issue. I would like to apologize once again if I hurt the bereaved family."

On the other hand, on September 25th, a large fire broke out on the first basement floor of the Hyundai Premium Outlets, killing seven people, including environmental beautification and facility management workers, and injuring one. The police and others are conducting an investigation to clarify the cause of the fire and whether or not the firefighting equipment was operating, but the clear cause has not yet been clarified.