[Exclusive] "Inspecting Labor Inspector Operations" Environment and Labor Committee to Form Industrial Accident Subcommittee

Review of Forming Industrial Accident Subcommittee within Environment and Labor Committee
Strengthening On-site Inspection Functions through Subcommittee
Supervision of Labor Inspectors and Collusion Issues
Experts: "Must Operate Substantively"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] It was confirmed on the 27th that the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee (Hwan-no-wi) is pushing to form a subcommittee to conduct regular inspections of industrial accidents occurring in companies.

An official from Hwan-no-wi stated, "The subcommittee formation is being considered to prepare for situations where the standing committee lacks agility and cannot actively respond to urgent issues related to serious accidents," adding, "The name could be decided as the Industrial Accident Subcommittee or Safety Subcommittee."

If the Industrial Accident or Safety Subcommittee is established, it is expected that the National Assembly will be able to inspect industrial accident sites nationwide and closely monitor whether industrial safety labor inspectors are properly overseeing the sites. In particular, it is known that the focus will be on correcting collusive behaviors between companies and inspectors, such as labor inspectors 'taking the company's side' or 'pressuring for settlements.' However, the business community opposes the formation of the subcommittee, arguing that 'political logic could intervene in labor-management issues' if a new subcommittee is created.

The number of industrial accident fatalities is on the rise. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number of industrial accident fatalities last year, when incidents such as the Icheon logistics warehouse fire occurred, was 882, an increase of 27 compared to the previous year. The number of industrial accident fatalities was around 964 in 2017 and 971 in 2018, decreased to 855 in 2019, but rose again to 882 last year. The Moon Jae-in administration set a goal to reduce industrial accident fatalities by 20% annually until the end of its term in 2022, targeting 725 in 2020, 616 in 2021, and 505 in 2022, but workplace accidents have not ceased.

Song Ok-ju, Chairperson of the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee, is presiding over the full committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Experts diagnose that for the Industrial Accident Subcommittee to be effective and lead to a reduction in accidents, it needs to be operated with practical effectiveness. Professor Kwon Hyuk of Pusan National University Law School said, "It is commendable that the National Assembly is taking action with awareness to correct industrial accident issues," but pointed out, "However, industrial accidents so far have not occurred due to a lack of organization or systems." Professor Kwon emphasized, "There is a need to strengthen the education and capabilities of labor inspectors to solidify the foundation." Professor Ha Jong-gang, head of the Labor Academy at Sungkonghoe University, said, "How it will be operated is more crucial," adding, "Currently, the number of labor inspectors is significantly insufficient, and the manpower for workplace inspections is severely lacking, which also needs to be addressed."

Park Ji-soon, dean of Korea University Graduate School of Labor Studies, stated, "It is meaningful that the National Assembly raises awareness of industrial accident issues and follows up, including passing the Serious Accident Corporate Punishment Act," but cautioned, "If the legislature tries to perform enforcement roles just for show, it could lead to populism or excessive politicization. (If the subcommittee is formed,) a reasonable balance must be found to skillfully manage its operation."

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