Fire reported at acid plant of South Korean zinc smelter

A fire broke out at a sulphuric acid production unit at a South Korean zinc smelter on Thursday, according to the Maeil Business newspaper.

The blaze occurred at Young Poong's Seokpo smelter in North Gyeongsang province and was extinguished about one hour after it started at 12:36 local time (03:36 GMT), the report said, adding that no casualties or toxic gas leaks were reported.

According to the company's website, the Seokpo smelter has an annual production capacity of 400,000 metric tons of zinc ingots, though its recent operating rates remain unclear.

Sulphuric acid, a byproduct of the smelting process used in the production of refined copper, nickel, and fertilizers, has seen strong demand in recent months as the conflict in the Middle East has disrupted supply.