[New Year's Address] Korea Construction Association President Han Seunggu: "Safety Is the Top Priority... Focusing on Establishing a Systematic Foundation"

Seunggu Han, President of the Korea Construction Association, stated, "Safety at construction sites is the top priority that can never be compromised under any circumstances," adding, "There can be no growth without ensuring safety, and establishing a systematic foundation through appropriate construction costs and sufficient construction periods is the starting point for construction safety."

In his New Year's address released on December 31, Han emphasized, "Safety will become a routine part of construction sites only when responsible safety management by clients and contractors, compliance with safety regulations by workers, and policy support from the government are organically interconnected." This statement appears to be aimed at raising safety awareness at construction sites, especially in light of frequent accidents at various sites throughout the year, which have led to increased scrutiny of the construction industry.

He pointed out, "As societal demands for safety at construction sites are higher than ever, fundamental structural improvements and responsible changes are required throughout the construction industry," and stressed, "This is not just an issue for individual industries, but a critical task directly linked to the stability of the national economy and the overall quality of life for citizens."

Seunggu Han, President of the Korea Construction Association. Photo by Korea Construction Association

He continued, "While various efforts are underway to revitalize the economy, there is growing anticipation that the construction market will gradually stabilize as housing supply conditions normalize, private investment recovers, and investment in social overhead capital (SOC) expands." He added, "To ensure these trends lead to tangible results, it is most important to improve systems with a field-oriented approach and foster a broad social consensus."

To establish appropriate construction costs and periods, the association plans to cooperate with relevant agencies so that these can be reasonably calculated and verified from the ordering stage. To improve the business environment for small and medium-sized construction companies, the association also intends to enhance the overall public contract system by expanding the exclusion of bids with less than 98% of the net construction cost, improving the practice of excessive advance payments, and operating the direct purchase system for government-supplied materials more rationally.

Han added, "To raise the labor productivity of the construction industry, which remains low compared to advanced countries, and to move away from the traditional labor-intensive and site-dependent industrial structure, we will focus on revising design and construction standards related to smart construction technology and fostering specialized talent." He also stated, "As construction sites continue to age, we will simultaneously promote employment support and awareness improvement so that young workers can naturally enter the industry."