[Reporter’s Notebook] Ministry of Employment and Labor Minister Emphasizes Punishment Over Prevention

Minister of Employment and Labor An Kyung-duk speaking at an online press conference on the 6th. (Photo by Ministry of Employment and Labor)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] "The main purpose is to lead accident prevention, but punishment for business owners who cause serious accidents without properly establishing a safety and health management system will definitely be enforced."

This was the response given by An Kyung-duk, Minister of Employment and Labor, at a press briefing on the 6th ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. It is hard to shake the impression that the emphasis is placed more on punishing the top executives rather than on accident prevention.

This thought was further solidified by other remarks from Minister An. Referring to Korea Electric Power Corporation, where fatal accidents have been recurring, he mentioned that he had a phone call with the president and conveyed the message that "they could be punished under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act once it is enforced." He also agreed with Justice Minister Park Beom-gye's statement that the sentencing guidelines of '1 year imprisonment and 1 billion won fine' should be readjusted.

What is concerning about Minister An’s remarks is that companies are still complaining about the ambiguity of the law. Even if they increase safety-related investments, it is difficult to determine from the government’s explanatory materials whether they will be punished if a fatal accident occurs. This is why companies are anxious with only 20 days left before the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Minister An said there will be no further measures beyond the explanatory guide released at the end of last year.

The government stated that as a ground for exemption, companies only need to make efforts to establish a safety and health management system when a fatal industrial accident occurs. However, the scope of this exemption is not clearly defined. Minister An said, "Once court precedents begin to accumulate after the law is enforced, the uncertain parts will be supplemented."

Companies want 'prevention' and 'grounds for exemption' to be explicitly stated in the law before its enforcement on the 27th. According to Minister An’s remarks, the supplementary work will be done only after some top executives are punished following the law’s enforcement. Even with 20 days left before the Serious Accidents Punishment Act takes effect, accidents are still occurring. The minister has emphasized that the purpose of the law is to reduce fatal accidents through preventive activities. It is necessary to deliver a more proactive message so that companies do not suspect the law is about ‘punishment over prevention.’

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