People Power Party Proposes Amendment to Mitigate Serious Accident Punishment Through Certification

Park Dae-chul, Representative Proposal of Partial Amendment to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act

The scene of an apartment construction site in Gyeonggi-do on January 27 last year, the first day of the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which allows for the punishment of management officials if serious accidents such as worker fatalities occur. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The People Power Party has proposed an amendment to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (Serious Accidents Punishment Act), which includes provisions to reduce punishment severity through certification agencies.

According to the National Assembly on the 13th, Park Dae-chul, a member of the People Power Party, officially proposed a partial amendment to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act on the 10th.

The Serious Accidents Punishment Act is a law that allows criminal punishment of management officials responsible for serious industrial accidents by examining their safety and health management obligations. The business community has opposed the bill, arguing that the punishment level, which stipulates imprisonment of more than one year or a fine of up to 1 billion won, is too severe.

This amendment includes the establishment of standards for prevention notices and the designation of certification agencies under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Certification agencies will announce safety prevention standards for businesses and workplaces subject to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. If the relevant certification is obtained, criminal punishment can be reduced or exempted. The criteria and procedures for designating certification agencies, as well as standards for cancellation and suspension of operations, will be determined by the Ministry of Justice decree.

In the amendment, Representative Park explained the purpose of the proposal, stating, "There are limits to preventing all accidents solely through punishment regulations, and even if business owners and management officials have taken sufficient measures to ensure safety and health, disputes over the application of the law may arise if an accident occurs, and excessive punishment may cause unfair damage."

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