South Korean President Orders Direct Reporting of Industrial Deaths Amid Safety Concerns

SEOUL, Aug 2025 : South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has instructed that all industrial deaths be reported directly to him without delay, underscoring his administration’s push to improve worker safety and curb workplace fatalities, the presidential office said Saturday.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung told reporters that Lee issued the order upon returning from his summer vacation. The move follows a fatal accident on Friday in Uijeongbu, 26 kilometers north of Seoul, where a 50-year-old worker died after falling while dismantling safety netting at a new apartment construction site.

Kang explained that while the current information-sharing system through the National Situation Room will continue, Lee has demanded a faster, more direct reporting mechanism. He has also instructed the Ministry of Labor to present a comprehensive industrial accident prevention framework, including follow-up measures and actions taken so far, at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.

“These measures reflect the President’s determination to reduce workplace deaths,” Kang said.

Since taking office two months ago, Lee has repeatedly called for stronger safety measures and harsher penalties for violators. On July 29, he condemned a series of fatal incidents at POSCO E&C worksites during a cabinet meeting, describing them as “murder by deliberate negligence.”

Despite previous orders for preventive action, another serious accident occurred on August 4 at a POSCO E&C-managed expressway construction site in Gwangmyeong, 20 kilometers south of Seoul. A Myanmar national in his 30s was left unconscious after sustaining severe injuries. This was the fourth fatal or near-fatal accident at the company’s sites this year.

In response, Lee directed officials to consider stronger punitive measures against companies with repeated safety lapses. Potential actions under review include canceling construction licenses, banning firms from public tenders, and imposing punitive damages.

Lee’s administration has made workplace safety a key priority, pledging to reduce the country’s persistently high rate of industrial deaths. Labor rights groups have welcomed the call for stricter oversight but have urged that enforcement be consistent and backed by resources to ensure compliance at all levels of the construction and manufacturing sectors.