Yeosu On-site Training Companies and Schools Also Violate Regulations... Comprehensive Survey of Vocational High Schools Conducted

Investigation Results on Accident Circumstances and Compliance with On-site Training Guidelines
Both Schools and Companies Violated Multiple On-site Training Laws and Regulations
Law Prohibiting Under-18 Diving Work Orders Violated
Schools Developed Training Programs Independently, Leaving Standard Agreement Forms Blank
Nationwide On-site Training Survey to Be Conducted for Vocational High Schools

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye received a report on the same-day school investigation findings from the Joint Investigation Team on the vocational high school field training fatal accident at the Yeosu Office of Education on the 14th, and discussed future investigation plans and schedules.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] A joint investigation into the death of a Yeosu field training student revealed that the training company violated laws and regulations by assigning diving work to a trainee who was underage and lacked the qualifications and experience to dive. The Ministry of Education will conduct a comprehensive survey of vocational high school field training and will also carry out guidance and inspections targeting companies.

On the 20th, a joint investigation team consisting of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Jeonnam Office of Education announced that their investigation into the accident circumstances, compliance with field training operation guidelines, and safety management confirmed that the company violated multiple laws and regulations related to field training.

The investigation found that the training company assigned diving work despite the Vocational Education and Training Promotion Act, the Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act prohibiting diving work for those under 18 years old and for those without the necessary qualifications or licenses.

The employer did not conduct safety and health education as stipulated in the standard field training agreement and did not comply with the designated training hours. The Coast Guard and the Ministry of Employment and Labor are currently conducting investigations regarding this matter.

The school also operated the field training operation committee without including external members such as parents or industry personnel, consisting only of school members and a dedicated labor attorney. The management of the field training system was inadequate, as the school neither registered the training company nor prepared a training log.

It was confirmed that the school independently developed the field training program, which should have been jointly developed with the training company, and did not share it with the company. Additionally, when signing contracts with students for field training, the school failed to properly execute contracts according to the standard agreement, leaving blanks in the standard field training agreement.

The Ministry of Education explained, "The investigation confirmed that regulations to protect students' safety and rights during field training were not being followed."

The Ministry of Education requested the Jeonnam Superintendent of Education to take actions against school officials and impose fines on the companies. An investigation is also underway to identify shortcomings in the education office’s management and supervision, and an advisory meeting will be held to review the overall field training system and operations, including the Ministry of Education.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Employment and Labor have decided to conduct a comprehensive survey of field training at vocational high schools nationwide. To understand the current status of field training, the central-level guidance and inspection scheduled for November to December will be moved up to the end of this month, and the scope of the investigation will be expanded to include training companies.

During industry guidance and inspections, compliance with safety and health measures related to field trainees, verification of hazardous work requiring qualifications, and adherence to protective regulations under the Industrial Safety and Health Act will be checked. For inspections targeting metropolitan and provincial education offices and schools, the focus will be on whether field training regulations and guidelines are properly followed on-site, the causes of non-compliance, and what support is needed.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Employment and Labor plan to announce improvements to the field training system within the year after collecting opinions from experts, students, teachers, teacher organizations, and companies.

Furthermore, since protecting trainees currently undergoing field training is urgent, from the 20th, a field training reporting center (phone and online) has been urgently established at central and provincial employment support centers to receive reports of unfair treatment during training. The reports received by the center will be reflected in the central-level field training guidance and inspections and used for system improvements.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye stated, "This accident should never have happened, and we will develop improvement measures to ensure that systems and regulations for student safety are followed on-site."

Minister of Employment and Labor Ahn Kyung-duk said, "Since essential protective regulations under the Industrial Safety and Health Act have applied to field trainees since last year, training companies must thoroughly manage the safety and health of trainees to prevent such accidents from happening again. Along with swift improvement plans, we will fully support necessary technical guidance, financial aid, and information provision to prevent safety accidents at training companies."