Prosecutors Seek Prison Sentence for Sampyo Group Chairman Over First Serious Accidents Punishment Act Case

Following the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, prosecutors have sought a prison sentence and a fine for Jeong Dowon, Chairman of Sampyo Group, who was brought to trial in connection with the collapse at a quarry in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province-the first accident under the new law.

Sampyo Industry Headquarters, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

At the sentencing hearing for Chairman Jeong, held on December 19 at the Uijeongbu District Court Criminal Division 3 (Presiding Judge Lee Young-eun), prosecutors requested a four-year prison sentence and a fine of 500 million won.

Prosecutors stated, "Chairman Jeong received reports and gave instructions on matters related to safety and health, as well as issues affecting the entire group. Based on this, he can be considered a management officer under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Sampyo was able to foresee the risk of collapse but maintained a complacent attitude, which led to the accident," explaining the reasons for their sentencing request.

Additionally, prosecutors sought a three-year prison sentence for Lee Jongshin, former CEO of Sampyo Industry, and prison terms of two to three years for both former and current employees of Sampyo Industry's headquarters and Yangju site. Prosecutors also requested a fine of 500 million won for the Sampyo Industry corporation.

In response, Chairman Jeong's attorney argued, "The holding company and Chairman Jeong only set the overall direction of the group, while the actual final decisions were made by the CEOs of each business division." In his final statement, Chairman Jeong said, "Regardless of legal responsibility, I feel a heavy sense of accountability for failing to protect the lives of our workers at the site. However, the group established a system to support safety management, and the actual management and safety of each affiliate were the responsibility of the respective CEOs. I ask the court to consider this carefully."

Chairman Jeong and others were indicted for failing to fulfill safety obligations in connection with the accident on January 29, 2022, at Sampyo Industry's Yangju site, where three workers died after being buried in earth and sand during operations. The verdict is scheduled to be delivered on February 10 next year.