First Vice Minister Koo Hyukchae: "No Research Without Safety"... Review of Laboratory Safety Measures

Establishing a “Research Laboratory Safety Enhancement Plan”
to Reduce Recurring Accidents

The Ministry of Science and ICT is accelerating efforts to establish a “Research Laboratory Safety Enhancement Plan” aimed at overhauling the overall research environment to reduce recurring laboratory safety accidents.

On November 21, the Ministry announced that it had reviewed a draft of the Research Laboratory Safety Enhancement Plan during the 14th Research Laboratory Safety Review Committee meeting, held at Koreana Hotel in Seoul under the chairmanship of First Vice Minister Koo Hyukchae. The purpose of this plan is to strengthen the institutional foundation so that researchers can focus on their work with peace of mind, reflecting the evolving environment of research and development (R&D) sites, which are becoming increasingly advanced, large-scale, and high-risk.

Koo Hyukchae, First Vice Minister of Science and ICT (far right), is speaking at an event. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Research Laboratory Safety Review Committee is an official government deliberative body established under Article 7 of the “Act on the Establishment of a Safe Laboratory Environment (Laboratory Safety Act),” with the First Vice Minister of Science and ICT serving as chair. The committee consists of director-level officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, as well as laboratory safety experts from industry, academia, and research institutes. It has been responsible for overseeing and coordinating major policies related to laboratory safety.

The draft of the Research Laboratory Safety Enhancement Plan discussed at this meeting was prepared as a comprehensive package to fundamentally reduce the recent recurrence of laboratory accidents. Committee members reviewed detailed measures such as legislative amendments, budget allocation, and the advancement of risk management systems. The final plan will be supplemented and confirmed based on the results of the discussions held on this day, and will be announced at a later date.

First Vice Minister Koo Hyukchae stated, “The advancement of science and technology is inseparable from the safety of researchers,” and added, “Through this plan, we will ensure the smooth implementation of necessary legislative amendments, institutional improvements, and budgetary support to create an environment where researchers can work with peace of mind.”

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