Law Firm Saram and Incheon Gyeongchong Sign MOU on Serious Accident Prevention

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] Law Firm Saram announced on the 13th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Incheon Employers Federation for information exchange on legal compliance management and major accident prevention.

Earlier, Law Firm Saram and the Incheon Employers Federation held a seminar on the 11th at the Songdo Central Park Hotel in Incheon under the theme "Enactment of the Serious Accident Punishment Act and Corporate Risks."

At the seminar, Attorney Eunyoung Choi of Law Firm Saram introduced the civil and criminal risks for companies following the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act and the corporate response measures.

Attorney Choi explained, "Even if the business owner is a corporation, individual CEOs and others may face criminal penalties such as imprisonment under the Serious Accident Punishment Act. Business owners or management officers will be subject to the law for violations of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, while safety and health managers and supervisors will be subject to the Industrial Safety and Health Act."

Regarding civil damages, she added, "The Serious Accident Punishment Act applies punitive damages for gross negligence more strongly than other laws. Simple negligence, however, incurs liability for damages under general tort law." She predicted that the enactment of the Serious Accident Punishment Act will strengthen compensation responsibilities in fatal industrial accident cases.

She also introduced predictions on the direction of subordinate laws under the Serious Accident Punishment Act and corporate response measures. Attorney Choi stated, "The results of the first special inspection conducted after the enactment of the Serious Accident Punishment Act provide insight into the Ministry of Employment and Labor's direction." She emphasized that essential elements for establishing a safety and health management system include ▲ the CEO’s establishment of safety and health policies ▲ setting and evaluating safety and health performance goals ▲ securing safety and health personnel, organization, and budget.

She advised that introducing a compliance program to support and monitor corporate employees in adhering to relevant laws would be effective both in preventing and responding to legal disputes.

After signing the MOU, Representative Attorney Kiyoon Lee of Law Firm Saram said, "We will provide legal services for a management and working environment where companies can grow stably."

Law Firm Saram offers corporate consulting related to the Industrial Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accident Punishment Act through an industrial safety dedicated team composed of certified specialists in industrial accidents, criminal law, and damages (certified by the Korean Bar Association). Additionally, it provides one-stop legal services from responding to police and prosecution investigations to civil and criminal litigation in the event of industrial accidents.

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