[2021 National Audit] Employment Minister: "POSCO Construction and Samsung C&T Are Not Subject to Special Supervision"

October 6 National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee Employment Ministry Audit

Questions Flooded on Construction Worker Inspections Before Serious Accident Punishment Act Enforcement in January Next Year

Minister Ahn: "Currently Supervising POSCO Headquarters"
"Samsung C&T Will Face Strong Measures If Problems Arise"

Minister of Employment and Labor Ahn Kyung-duk taking the oath as a witness at the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee's Employment Ministry audit held at the Government Sejong Complex on the 6th. The man to Minister Ahn's right is Kwon Ki-seop, Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Headquarters. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] As companies such as Taeyoung Construction and Daewoo Construction have completely reorganized their management systems ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in January next year, Employment and Labor Minister An Kyung-duk revealed at the National Assembly audit on the 6th that he is supervising POSCO Construction headquarters. Samsung C&T, identified as a frequent site of industrial accident fatalities, also came under scrutiny.

Minister An responded at the Ministry of Employment and Labor audit held by the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee at the Government Complex Sejong in the afternoon, to a question from Roh Woong-rae, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, asking, "Shouldn't POSCO Construction and Samsung C&T have undergone special labor supervision due to the occurrence of industrial accident fatalities?" by saying, "(They) do not meet the criteria for (special labor supervision)."

Lawmaker Roh argued that companies should be subject to labor supervision even if the accident did not occur at the headquarters. He then questioned, "Why were only these two companies specifically excluded from labor supervision?" Minister An replied, "Samsung C&T and POSCO Construction did not meet these criteria, so (labor supervision) was not conducted."

When Lawmaker Roh pressed, "Even if it is the same company, if there are multiple business sites, the meaning of accidents should be interpreted broadly for the safety of workers, and administrative convenience should not dictate the interpretation," Minister An said, "For construction safety management, nationwide site supervision of headquarters is conducted separately from special supervision," adding, "Although it has not been publicly disclosed, POSCO Construction is undergoing headquarters supervision."

Samsung C&T could not avoid a barrage of questions either. Park Dae-su, a People Power Party lawmaker, had early on summoned Kim Kyu-deok, Executive Director of Samsung C&T, as a witness, pointing out Samsung C&T as a frequent site of industrial accident fatalities. Lawmaker Park raised suspicions that Samsung C&T might have evaded industrial accident approvals, noting that while seven industrial accident fatalities occurred at construction sites where Samsung C&T was the contractor over the past four years, only two cases were recorded in the Ministry of Employment and Labor statistics.

In response, Executive Director Kim explained, "Due to procedural issues in insurance review and approval, some cases have not yet been counted," and added, "Our company has never intentionally or by any means evaded industrial accident approvals."

Lawmaker Park also pointed out that even at Samsung C&T, recognized as an excellent safety management workplace, industrial accident management at business sites is not properly conducted. He reported that fire protection facility construction must be reported before commencement according to the law, and only reported companies should carry out the work, but this is not the case at the Pyeongtaek Samsung Semiconductor plant. For example, workers from Da I & C were openly working in the section assigned to Woo Hyun E & G, and Woo Hyun E & G workers were working in the wrong section assigned to Sebang Tech.

Regarding this, Executive Director Kim said, "Fire protection construction should be carried out based on the reported commencement details, and if the contractor changes, an immediate change report must be filed to be lawful," adding, "We also acknowledge that this part was wrong."

Lawmaker Park asked Minister An, "Isn't it necessary to conduct special labor supervision on Samsung C&T as well, classified this year as a frequent site of industrial accident fatalities and receiving special labor supervision like other construction companies?" Minister An replied, "As I answered earlier to Lawmaker Roh's question, Samsung C&T is not included in the criteria for special labor supervision, but if problems arise at headquarters or on-site in the future, we will take strong measures."