[2021 National Audit] "Ministry of Economy and Finance, Increase Budget and Personnel for Industrial Accident Compensation" Urged

Less than 5% of the Industrial Accident Prevention Project Transfer Fund Target Agreed by the Tripartite Commission
KOSHA's Demand for Industrial Accident Statistics Staff Increase Remains 'Zero' for 3 Years

Yong Hye-in: "Ministry of Economy and Finance, Support Staffing and Budget for Industrial Accident Statistics, Judgment, and Compensation"

On August 29, a memorial space for delivery workers was set up in front of Seolleung Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. On the 26th of the same month, a platform delivery worker was fatally struck by a cargo truck on a road near Seolleung Station. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] During the National Assembly's audit, opinions were raised that the workforce and budget of public institutions responsible for industrial accident prevention and statistics preparation should be increased.

On the 20th, Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party on the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee, pointed out at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's audit that manpower and budget for industrial accident prevention, industrial accident statistics preparation, and industrial accident judgment and compensation tasks should be actively reflected.

According to Representative Yong, the Economic, Social and Labor Council decided in 2006 and 2008 to increase the transfer amount of industrial accident prevention project expenses supported from the general account in the industrial accident fund expenditure budget. They set 3% of the total expenditure budget as the target amount. However, after the agreement, the achievement rate against the target amount was only about 5% annually. It steadily decreased from 7.5% in 2005, 6.4% in 2013, to 4.1% this year.

The transfer amount remained at 9.2 billion KRW from 2008 to last year, then increased to 10 billion KRW this year and 12 billion KRW next year. While the industrial accident fund expenditure budget increased by 4.3 trillion KRW from 2005 to this year, the transfer amount only increased by 1.5 billion KRW.

Requests to increase the workforce and budget for practical tasks such as industrial accident statistics at the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency were virtually ignored. According to Representative Yong, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance had zero personnel additions over three years. The agency's requested amounts related to industrial accident statistics were 2.76 billion KRW last year, 1.262 billion KRW this year, and 2.364 billion KRW next year, but the actual allocated amounts were 2.733 billion KRW last year, 1.222 billion KRW this year, and 760 million KRW next year, showing a decrease not only in requested levels but also in actual allocations.

This is expected to cause difficulties not only in producing industrial accident statistics for socially controversial groups such as delivery workers and security guards but also in identifying industrial accidents among fishermen and public officials, which are not included in official statistics.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance only staffed a fraction?less than one-fifth?of the personnel requested for the Industrial Disease Judgment Committee (Jilpanwi) of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service. Last year, only 5 out of 31 requested personnel (16%) were added; this year, 0 out of 61 (0%); and next year, only 20 out of 146 (14%) were reflected.

The Jilpanwi plays a role in determining whether workers have contracted occupational diseases such as death from overwork, musculoskeletal disorders, and occupational cancer. As the number of industrial accident and overwork death applications surges, the role of Jilpanwi is also expanding. The number of reviews in 2019 was 1,517, double the 723 cases in 2017. The number of judgments also nearly doubled from 8,715 in 2017 to 14,206 in 2019.

If there are insufficient staff to handle the increasing complaints, the processing period for industrial accidents will inevitably lengthen. This could increase distrust among workers who have suffered industrial accidents toward the industrial accident compensation system. Representative Yong said, "Industrial accident prevention projects, poor industrial accident statistics, and endlessly delayed industrial accident processing periods have not improved," and demanded, "The Ministry of Strategy and Finance must uphold the tripartite agreement for industrial accident prevention and support the necessary manpower and budget for industrial accident statistics and industrial accident judgment and compensation tasks."