Three Electrocuted in Bathhouse Underwater Massager... Owner Claims Manufacturer's Fault Responsibility

Court to Hear Bereaved Families' Opinions Before Sentencing

At the first trial regarding the accident in which three bathhouse patrons were electrocuted to death due to an electric leakage from an underwater massager installed in a bathhouse, the bathhouse owner expressed feelings of injustice.

According to a Yonhap News report, at the first trial of owner A’s case on charges of professional negligence causing death, held on the 10th at the Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 10, A’s lawyer denied the charges, stating, "If the customer died due to insulation leakage inside the underwater massager, the manufacturer should be held responsible for professional negligence," and added, "It is unfair to hold the defendant responsible for professional negligence as alleged."

The lawyer argued, "The bathhouse, which has been in operation since 1981, is a facility not required to install a leakage circuit breaker, and there is no set usage period for the underwater massager," further stating, "It is impossible to know when the insulation leakage would occur, and since the defendant is not an electrical expert, he could not have foreseen damage to the internal insulation that had not malfunctioned despite long use."

A police line has been set up at the entrance of a bathhouse in Sejong City where an electric shock accident occurred in the women's section of the bathhouse on the morning of December 24, 2023, resulting in three casualties. Yonhap News

In response, the victim’s lawyer said, "A civil lawsuit related to this case is also ongoing, and although it has been three years, the defendant has not offered a proper apology nor has any damage restoration been made," adding, "Recently, the defendant’s side first proposed a settlement amount adjustment to attempt a settlement but broke it off for reasons difficult to accept, and just before today’s trial, they communicated their refusal to settle. Considering these points, there is suspicion that the defendant manipulated the victims to gain an advantageous position in the criminal trial."

The court plans to hear the opinions of the bereaved families after witness examination and before the sentencing phase.

Meanwhile, A was indicted on charges of causing the deaths of three women in their 70s who were using the women’s hot bath inside the bathhouse operated in Jochiwon, Sejong City, at 5:37 a.m. on December 24, 2023. The prosecution believes that the accident occurred because the insulation surrounding the motor wires of the underwater massager installed in the bathhouse was damaged, causing electric current to flow through the pipes connected to the motor into the hot bath.