'Inbun Apartment' Banned by Law... Mandatory One Toilet per Five Floors at Construction Sites

Bill Proposed to Improve Construction Workers' Access to Restrooms and Convenience Facilities During Work

Amid recent controversy over the 'Inbun Apartment' incident, where plastic bags containing human waste were found on the ceilings and walls of newly constructed apartments, a bill mandating the expansion of convenience facilities at construction sites has been proposed.

On the 10th, Kim Yong-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that he had taken the lead in proposing the "Partial Amendment to the Act on the Improvement of Employment of Construction Workers."

The amendment does not view the root cause of the 'Inbun Apartment' incident as the actions of construction workers but rather as a result of insufficient convenience facilities and unrealistic regulations at construction sites. Accordingly, it stipulates that at construction sites for apartments or high-rise buildings of a scale specified by presidential decree, at least one restroom must be installed for every five floors.

Under current law, construction sites where construction work of a scale specified by presidential decree is carried out must install facilities such as restrooms, dining areas, and changing rooms, but detailed regulations are determined by the Ministry of Employment and Labor's decree. Additionally, restrooms for construction workers must be installed or leased within 300 meters of the site.

However, according to a survey conducted by the National Construction Workers' Union (Construction Union) from June 23 to July 8, while an average of 172 workers are deployed per site, the average number of restrooms is only 2.5. Construction workers working on high floors spend an average of more than 30 minutes to use the restroom, making it practically impossible for construction workers to access restrooms.

Assemblyman Kim Yong-min said, "The Inbun Apartment incident is an issue connected to the human rights of construction workers," adding, "I hope the bill passes quickly to alleviate the concerns of prospective residents and improve the working conditions of construction workers."