Lee Jae-myung "2,000 Workers Die Every Year"... Urges Enactment of the 'Serious Accident Corporate Punishment Act'

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, urged the National Assembly to promptly enact the "Serious Accident Corporate Punishment Act."

On the 18th, through Instagram, Governor Lee stated, "Ten years ago in September, a horrific accident occurred where a young man in his 20s fell into a blast furnace at his workplace and died," adding, "Molten metal exceeding 1600 degrees Celsius instantly engulfed the young man, but there was no authority paying attention to this incident anywhere."

However, Governor Lee conveyed the regrettable reality by saying, "A poem left in the comments at that time has been revived as the voices of citizens, songs, and performances to commemorate that day."

He further added, "In 2008, 40 workers were lost in a warehouse fire in Icheon, and 12 years later, this year, another 38 workers were lost," emphasizing, "At apartment construction sites, thermal power plants, and cutting-edge industrial factories, more than 2,000 workers lose their lives every year at the workplaces where they sweat and work."

Therefore, Governor Lee earnestly requested the National Assembly, saying, "Please enact the 'Serious Accident Corporate Punishment Act' as soon as possible to create workplaces where worker safety is guaranteed."

He believes that since the profits enjoyed by business owners exceed the costs of punishment, companies currently do not pay much attention to serious accidents, and thus, strict criminal liability must be imposed and punitive damages significantly strengthened.

Finally, Governor Lee promised the public, "Please join forces together," and pledged, "I will also do everything I can to protect the safety and lives of workers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.