Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service Board Launches 'Field-Oriented' Management Support Activities

On-site Board Meeting Held at Korea's Only Rehabilitation Engineering Research Institute

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KCOMWEL) has recently been garnering attention for its field-oriented management support activities.

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service conducts field-centered management support activities.

KCOMWEL, which carries out a variety of projects such as industrial accident and employment insurance as well as welfare programs for vulnerable workers to improve workers' welfare, also has a board of non-executive directors consisting of various experts in labor, management, and welfare fields.

In September last year, the board visited the construction site of the Ulsan Industrial Accident Hospital, and in April this year, they visited the Taebaek Rehabilitation Hospital for industrial accident patients. On the 27th, they held an on-site board meeting at the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Institute, the only rehabilitation engineering research institution in Korea under KCOMWEL, to discuss development strategies.

At this meeting, Park Sehun, director of the institute, explained that the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Institute, established in 1994 to support the smooth rehabilitation of industrial accident patients, has reduced costs and greatly improved user satisfaction by localizing rehabilitation aids such as prosthetic arms and legs. He also noted that the institute now develops advanced rehabilitation equipment on par with those of developed countries and even provides technical support to developing nations.

Kim Ina, board member (professor of occupational and environmental medicine at Hanyang University Hospital), expressed her surprise at the use of cutting-edge technologies such as wearable robots for industrial accident patients and requested the development and production of even more convenient and functional rehabilitation aids.

Ryu Kiseop, board member (Secretary General of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions), stated, "I am grateful and proud that such specialized facilities exist for industrial accident patients," while Lee Dongkeun, board member (Vice President of the Korea Employers Federation), encouraged the efforts, saying, "This is a great example of labor and management working together."

Song Inkyu, board member and social welfare expert (Managing Attorney at Law Firm Jungwon), suggested, "There is a need to collaborate with the National Health Insurance Service so that these excellent devices can be used not only by industrial accident patients but also by the general public."

Park Jonggil, president of KCOMWEL, said, "Our non-executive directors represent various sectors such as labor and management and are the top experts in workers' welfare in Korea. To further develop the agency's operations, we will run the board as an 'on-site, experiential, and proposal-making board.' In June, we plan to hold a board meeting at the Seoul Center for Special Type Workers, and in August at the KCOMWEL Donghae Hospital."