"It Feels Like a Crazy World"... Late Kim Yong-gyun's Mother Condemns Primary Contractor's Not Guilty Verdict

Ten Related Officials Also Avoid Prison Sentence
"Is It Right Not to Punish Even If There Is Fault?"

"It feels like a crazy world. The court acknowledged that both the primary and subcontractors were at fault. Then isn't it common sense that appropriate punishment should follow? They admit fault but say there will be no punishment?does that make any sense..."

Regarding the death of the non-regular subcontracted worker, the late Kim Yong-gyun, who worked at Taean Thermal Power Plant, Kim Mi-sook, Yong-gyun's mother, could not hide her frustration after the Supreme Court acquitted the representative of the primary contractor company.

On the 8th, on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' Mi-sook tearfully said, "I can't help but think that the court is going so wrong, ultimately protecting companies and continuing to cause people's deaths."

She continued, expressing that the punishment for those responsible for the accident is too insufficient, saying, "Punishment is meant to prevent recurrence, but it doesn't prevent recurrence at all, does it?"

The Supreme Court held the final appeal trial on the 7th for former Korea Western Power CEO Kim Byung-sook and others, who were charged with causing the death of Taean Thermal Power Plant worker Kim Yong-gyun (violation of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, and involuntary manslaughter). After the original court ruling of not guilty was upheld, the late Kim Yong-gyun's mother, Kim Mi-sook, and others held a press conference in front of the Supreme Court to protest the unfairness of the verdict. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

On the 7th, the Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Lee Dong-won) upheld the lower court's verdict acquitting former Korea Western Power President Kim Byung-sook, who was charged with violating the Industrial Safety and Health Act and involuntary manslaughter.

Yong-gyun, a non-regular worker belonging to Korea Power Engineering, a subcontractor of Western Power, was found dead in December 2018, caught in a conveyor belt used for coal transport. The prosecution investigating the case indicted former President Kim and 14 executives and employees from both the primary and subcontractors in 2020, recognizing their criminal responsibility.

However, both the first and second trials acquitted former President Kim. The court reasoned that it was difficult to recognize a substantive employment relationship between the primary contractor and Yong-gyun, and it was hard to see that former President Kim had a direct obligation to inspect the work environment.

Ten executives and employees from Western Power and Power Engineering, who were indicted together, and the Power Engineering corporation were found guilty for failing to fulfill safety measures. However, all received only fines or suspended sentences, with no actual imprisonment.

After Yong-gyun's death, the Industrial Safety and Health Act was fully revised to strengthen the responsibility of primary contractors, and the Serious Accident Punishment Act was enacted to punish employers who fail to fulfill safety and health obligations.

However, these laws were enacted after Yong-gyun's accident and could not be applied retroactively. Mi-sook expressed regret, saying, "I hoped that if we fought hard, since the law was made because of Yong-gyun, it would be applied even a little. But it was not applied at all."

She added, "I only thought about the safety of my family and my home. But no matter how much you try to protect your family at home, if society is not safe, in the end, such great harm occurs," and appealed, "Please participate in the role of making society safe."

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