Representative Proposal of the "Amendment to the Act on Safety Management of Children's Play Facilities"
Bum Nam Yang, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
On June 17, Yang Bum Nam, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangju Seo-gu Eul), proposed the "Amendment to the Act on Safety Management of Children's Play Facilities" to address blind spots in safety management for new types of children's play spaces, such as unmanned kids pools.
The amendment addresses the limitations of the current system, which only includes playgrounds equipped with conventional equipment such as swings and slides as subjects of safety management.
This legislative move follows the need for regulatory improvements for new types of children's play spaces, which was raised after a child drowned and died in July 2023 at an unmanned kids pool in Cheongna, Incheon.
According to an investigation by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as of March this year, there are 361 new types of unmanned indoor children's play facilities nationwide that are not currently subject to management.
The amendment imposes safety management obligations on new types of play spaces, including swimming facilities such as kids pools and water rooms. It also establishes a legal basis for specifying the reporting period and method for serious accidents by presidential decree. In addition, the amendment introduces a reporting obligation and penalty provisions, allowing fines to be imposed if a play facility is installed without being reported.
Yang stated, "The system must change to match the evolving play environment," and added, "I hope this amendment will eliminate safety blind spots and serve as an opportunity to substantially strengthen children's safety."
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