Minister of Employment and Labor An Kyung-duk: "The Serious Accidents Punishment Act Will Be Strictly Enforced"

Minister of Employment and Labor An Kyung-duk is attending the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting for COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 25th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Minister of Employment and Labor An Kyung-duk emphasized on the one-month anniversary of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act enforcement that "in the event of a serious accident, investigations will be promptly initiated, and responsibilities will be clearly identified to ensure the strict enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act."

On the 2nd, Minister An held a major agency heads meeting at the Government Sejong Complex with participation from eight regional employment and labor offices, expressing this stance.

Minister An explained, "Although the law has been in effect for only a short period and industrial accident fatalities have occurred during this time, we have seen the possibility of preventing serious accidents if we all maintain interest and effort, as the number of industrial accident deaths has decreased compared to the same period last year."

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, since the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act on January 27, a total of 39 fatal accidents occurred during the one-month period until the 28th of last month, a decrease of 16 cases (29.1%) compared to 55 cases in the same period last year. The number of deaths during this period was 47, down 8 (14.5%) from 55 a year earlier.

The Ministry plans to support the establishment and implementation of safety and health management systems for small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 300 employees, conduct effective inspections and supervision of about 20,000 high-risk workplaces, and encourage thorough safety management by private accident prevention organizations.

Minister An reiterated to business leaders, field managers, and workers that "most accidents can be prevented and workers' lives saved simply by adhering to basic safety rules and work manuals, such as wearing protective gear, installing safety railings, and performing maintenance in teams of two."

He added, "In the event of a serious accident, investigations will be promptly initiated and responsibilities clearly identified," and urged, "I hope agency heads will responsibly carry out all investigative processes, including securing evidence, establishing causality, and reviewing legal aspects."

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