Labor Minister: "Will Actively Use Search and Seizure, Arrests for Repeated Accidents"

On the 26th, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghoon stated, "We take the repeated occurrence of serious accidents-such as falls and suffocation-that could be prevented simply by following basic safety rules, extremely seriously." He added, "If basic safety rules are not observed or the same type of accident occurs repeatedly, we will actively utilize compulsory investigations such as search and seizure and arrests."

Minister Kim held an emergency briefing on the response to serious accidents that day, saying, "If an accident that could have been prevented had the employer exercised just a little caution and complied with the law, then strict accountability must be enforced to prevent recurrence. Investigative agencies will conduct thorough investigations to ensure criminal responsibility, and the government as a whole will impose strong administrative and financial sanctions to ensure accountability."

Kim Younghoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, is delivering opening remarks at a meeting of construction companies to prevent fall accidents held at Royal Hotel Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 23rd. 2025.09.23 Photo by Yoon Dongju

The previous day, an incident occurred at a zinc processing plant in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where four workers collapsed from suffocation while working inside an underground tank, resulting in two deaths and two in critical condition. Minister Kim personally visited the site to oversee the response, ordered a special inspection, and instructed that accident cases and the 'Three Major Safety Rules for Preventing Suffocation Accidents' be communicated to approximately 50,000 high-risk workplaces with confined spaces.

Regarding this, Minister Kim emphasized, "We plan to thoroughly investigate the causes of the accident, including how the suffocation disaster occurred inside the tank and whether basic safety measures-such as gas concentration measurement, ventilation, and placement of a safety monitor-were properly implemented before work in the confined space."

Minister Kim also said, "We will mobilize all available industrial safety administrative resources to support small and micro-sized businesses that lack sufficient safety and health capacity." He continued, "Until the end of the year, we will focus inspections, safety workplace projects, and on-site visits on small workplaces, and starting next year, we will expand the preventive capacity of small and micro-sized businesses by utilizing workplace safety guardians." He added, "We will spare no effort in providing financial, personnel, and technical support to small businesses."

Minister Kim stated, "We will further strengthen the joint response system across all ministries to reduce serious accidents." He added, "While closely establishing preventive systems with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments, we will also enhance collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, prosecutors, and police regarding serious accident cases to ensure prompt and thorough investigations."