Park Yong-gap of the Democratic Party of Korea Proposes Amendment to the Construction Technology Promotion Act
Amid the recent collapse of a bridge on the Seoul-Sejong Expressway resulting in 10 casualties, a bill mandating the disclosure of construction companies responsible for fatal accidents has been proposed in the National Assembly.
On the 27th, Park Yong-gap, a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, announced the proposal of a revision to the Construction Technology Promotion Act that would require the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to compulsorily disclose the names of construction companies involved in fatal accidents at construction sites.
The government also formalized its intention to resume the disclosure of construction companies involved in fatal accidents in its "Measures to Prevent Falls at Construction Sites" announced on the same day. If the bill passes the National Assembly, it will become legally mandatory to disclose the names of construction companies involved in fatal accidents every quarter. This will also enable the government to implement more effective disaster prevention measures.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been announcing the "Top 100 Construction Companies with Fatal Accidents" annually from 2019 to 2023. Park stated, "Although this was implemented with the aim of reducing casualties at construction sites, the construction industry protested, claiming there was 'no legal basis,' leading to the suspension of disclosures since last year."
The revision proposed by Park includes provisions to disclose quarterly, via the internet and other means, the names of construction companies involved in fatal accidents, the project names, and the number of deaths. The purpose is to strengthen the safety management responsibilities of construction companies and reduce fatal accidents at construction sites. The specific scope and procedures for disclosure are stipulated to be determined by presidential decree.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to Park’s office, a total of 1,868 casualties occurred at construction sites of the top 20 construction companies by construction capacity evaluation in 2024. Among them, 35 were fatalities, a 25% increase compared to the previous year (25 fatalities). The companies with the highest number of fatalities were Daewoo Construction (7), GS Construction and POSCO E&C (5 each), and Hyundai Construction (3). Hyundai Engineering, the contractor for the Seoul-Sejong Expressway collapse, also recorded 5 deaths and 504 injuries over the past three years.
Park said, "I offer my condolences to those who lost their lives in this accident and extend my sympathies to their families. To protect the lives and safety of workers at construction sites, I urge construction companies to establish preventive measures and pledge to thoroughly analyze the causes of accidents and improve deficient laws."
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