Another Accident at POSCO E&C: Highway Worker in Coma After Suspected Electrocution

Another Accident Occurs Despite CEO Jung Heemin's Apology and Safety Inspections
A Series of Fatal Accidents This Year... President Lee Also Criticizes

A worker suffered serious injuries and fell into a coma at a highway construction site managed by POSCO E&C. The accident occurred just six days after CEO Jung Heemin of POSCO E&C issued a public apology and declared an indefinite suspension of work following a series of fatal industrial accidents.

According to the Gwangmyeong Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on August 4, at approximately 1:34 p.m. that day, a male worker in his 30s of Myanmar nationality, identified as A, was involved in a suspected electrocution accident at the Gwangmyeong?Seoul Expressway extension construction site in Okgil-dong, Gwangmyeong City. A showed symptoms of cardiac arrest and was transported in an unconscious state to a nearby hospital. It was reported that he has not yet regained consciousness.

At the time of the accident, A had gone down to a point 18 meters underground to inspect a malfunctioning sump pump. It was reported that a coworker who had descended with him saw A collapsed and called emergency services at 119.

Based on the 119 emergency call and other evidence, the police believe that A collapsed due to electrocution. They plan to conduct further investigations to determine the exact cause of the accident.

The accident site is Section 1 of the 20.2-kilometer expressway connecting Gahak-dong in Gwangmyeong City and Gangseo-gu in Seoul. The project was commissioned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and is being constructed by POSCO E&C.

Several fatal accidents have already occurred at POSCO E&C construction sites this year alone. In January, there was a fatal fall at an apartment construction site in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. In April, a collapse occurred at the Sinansan Line construction site in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, and another fatal fall happened at a residential-commercial complex construction site in Daegu.

On July 28, at the Uiryeong Interchange construction site on the Hamyang?Ulsan Expressway in South Gyeongsang Province, a worker in his 60s died after being caught in a drilling machine while performing slope reinforcement work. President Lee Jaemyung, at a Cabinet meeting on July 29, the day after the accident, criticized the situation, stating, "Five people reportedly died after going to work. How can this be allowed to happen? When fatal accidents occur in the same manner, it means we are tolerating these deaths. To put it harshly, in legal terms, this is murder by willful negligence."

On the same day, CEO Jung Heemin of POSCO E&C issued a public apology at the company's headquarters in Songdo, Incheon, bowing his head in person. The day after the accident, POSCO E&C suspended work at all sites and conducted safety inspections.

The Gwangmyeong?Seoul Expressway site, where the latest accident occurred, had been deemed safe in the company's own safety inspection, and work had resumed as of that day.

Meanwhile, following President Lee's directive, the police have decided to establish a dedicated "industrial accident investigation team" at every provincial police agency nationwide.

Heemin Jung, CEO of POSCO E&C, is offering apologies to related parties ahead of a statement regarding the consecutive on-site fatal accidents at the Incheon Songdo headquarters on the 29th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News