'Worker Fall Death' Leads to Criminal Trial "First Application of Serious Accident Punishment Act in Seoul"

The representative of a company was prosecuted for violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in connection with a worker's fatal fall at a new construction site in Seoul. This is the first time that charges under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act have been applied to an industrial accident occurring in Seoul.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 2nd, the Public Investigation Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jun-beom) indicted construction company A located in Eunpyeong-gu and its CEO Lee on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (industrial accident causing death) without detention.

Earlier, Lee was brought to trial on charges of failing to fulfill safety and health obligations, resulting in the death of employee B at a new construction site in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on March 25 of last year. B died after falling while performing painting work at the construction site.

Investigations revealed that basic safety measures such as wearing safety harnesses or fall protection facilities were not implemented at the site. It was found that four months before the accident, when the site safety manager resigned, Lee did not hire a successor due to labor cost burdens and difficulties in recruitment, and instead nominally appointed a head office employee as the safety manager. Despite multiple warnings from the Employment and Labor Office and others about inadequate fall protection facilities before the accident, no corrective actions were taken.

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