[Reporter’s Notebook] Repeated Industrial Accidents: Only 'Losses,' Not 'Punishment,' Will Make Them Stop

Fatal accidents continue to occur in industrial workplaces. Even this year, there have been a series of deaths among workers caused by entrapment, falls, and suffocation at paper mills, food factories, and construction sites.

Most of these accidents could have been prevented with just basic safety measures. Relevant laws and systems, such as the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, are in place, and the government has also stepped up inspections. However, companies have not changed their ways. This is because the cost of preventing accidents is often higher than the penalties incurred after an accident. Even when a serious industrial accident occurs, it is rare for management to receive an actual prison sentence. Companies hire large law firms and use every possible means to avoid legal consequences. During lengthy lawsuits, public attention also fades. Nothing will change as long as this continues.

On July 29, President Lee Jaemyung addressed this reality at a cabinet meeting. President Lee stated, "When fatal accidents are repeated at the same sites for the same reasons, it ultimately means we are condoning these deaths," adding, "Legally speaking, this amounts to murder by willful negligence." He further emphasized, "Criminal punishment does not seem to be a decisive measure when serious accidents occur. Economic sanctions would be more effective," and stressed the need to consider introducing punitive damages.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor, which is in charge of preventing industrial accidents, immediately began working on institutional improvements centered on economic measures. On July 31, a ministry official said, "There has been a suggestion that economic sanctions, such as fines, may be more effective, so we are conducting an internal review." He explained, "The Serious Accidents Punishment Act involves lengthy and complex investigation and proof procedures, which limit its ability to raise corporate awareness immediately after an accident. Economic sanctions can serve as immediate and intuitive measures."

The government's proposed solution is to change corporate behavior through economic loss. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to hold companies accountable by imposing disadvantages throughout the entire bidding and contract awarding process for construction sites where fatal accidents are frequent. This could serve as a practical motivation for companies to change.

In February, the Ministry introduced a system that awards additional points in public project bid evaluations if the Chief Executive Officer personally inspects construction sites. This measure reflects the feedback from the field, where the mere fact that the CEO has visited creates a sense of tension, making both workers and partner companies more sensitive to safety.

In fact, GS Engineering & Construction reported zero fatal or injury accidents during the two weeks when executives from headquarters were present at the site. This was the result of CEO Heo Yunhong personally visiting major sites to continue safety inspections. Ultimately, the most realistic way to change corporate behavior is not "post-accident punishment," but "practical motivation." CEOs are motivated not by campaigns, but by competition for contracts, and what changes companies is not penalties, but profits and losses.

Consistent determination from those who design and implement these systems is also necessary. Although the Industrial Safety and Health Headquarters at the Ministry of Labor was expanded in 2017 to serve as a control tower for preventing serious accidents, its presence is still not clearly felt. The entity responsible for supervising worksites, persuading companies, and systematically managing recurring accidents must take a central role. Nothing will change if everything is left to corporate autonomy.

Safety is not a cost, but a responsibility. Only when companies are shown through data and systems that ignoring this responsibility results in losses will industrial accidents truly begin to decrease. Companies where fatal accidents are repeated must face direct losses. Only then will companies change.