Industrial fatalities overseen by Lee's immediate subordinates receive orders from him.
In a move to enhance worker safety and reduce workplace fatalities, President Lee Jae Myung has ordered the government to present an industrial accident prevention framework, follow-up measures, and actions taken so far at a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday. The order comes after a man in his 50s died at a construction site in Uijeongbu, 26 kilometers north of Seoul, on Friday.
The man died while removing safety nets at a new apartment complex construction site. No further details about the identity of the deceased man were provided.
President Lee has emphasized the need for tougher punishment for violators of industrial safety regulations. He has repeatedly called for stronger safety measures and tougher punishment for violators during his first two months in office.
At a cabinet meeting on August 12, 2025, Lee demanded harsh penalties such as permanent bans from public tenders and heavy fines for companies with repeated industrial accidents. He condemned outsourcing dangerous tasks as “murder by willful negligence” and called for holding main contractors responsible rather than subcontractors alone.
The president's focus on industrial safety has been ongoing for the past two months. He has also advocated for tough penalties on companies with repeated industrial accidents, scrutinized subcontracting practices, and pushed comprehensive labor reforms to extend protections to vulnerable workers.
The government is exploring administrative and financial sanctions to complement the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (SAPA). SAPA, effective since January 2022, allows imprisonment of CEOs if proper safety measures are lacking. However, due to slow judicial processes, Lee’s government is proposing faster administrative punishments, fines up to 10 billion won, business suspensions, and loan restrictions to more effectively deter workplace fatalities.
The president's approach is shaped by his personal experience as a worker injured in industrial accidents. His administration is considering measures including permanent revocation of bidding qualifications for offending companies, substantial fines, and enhanced accountability for main contractors in serious accidents.
Key updates on Lee’s efforts also include the expansion of labor protections. A labor policy plan unveiled by the Presidential Committee on National Planning aims to extend key labor and safety laws (Labor Standards Act and Industrial Safety and Health Act) to businesses with fewer than 5 employees, which previously were exempt. This includes protections like limits on working hours, overtime pay, paid leave, and anti-harassment measures starting late 2025 and continuing through 2027–2028.
Following Lee’s criticism of excessive night shifts after workplace deaths, companies like SPC Group have committed to capping night shifts at 8 hours from October 2025, reducing overall plant operating hours to prevent fatigue-related accidents.
Major companies such as POSCO Group have established safety task forces, increased investment in safety management, and set up support foundations for families of deceased workers following Lee’s public admonitions.
The president returned from his summer vacation before making this order, reflecting the urgency he places on industrial safety. The measures presented by the Ministry of Labor are a reflection of the president's strong determination to drastically reduce workplace fatalities.
- President Lee Jae Myung's call for tougher punishment for industrial safety violations extends beyond the need for tougher penalties to comprehensive labor reforms aimed at protecting vulnerable workers, a key part of the general-news focus on health-and-wellness in the workplace-wellness industry.
- As part of his strategy to reduce workplace fatalities, the president has advocated for the inclusion of businesses with fewer than 5 employees in key labor and safety laws, such as the Labor Standards Act and the Industrial Safety and Health Act (a move that is part of the broader finance and politics landscape).
- In a bid to further deter workplace fatalities, the government is exploring administrative and financial sanctions to complement the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (SAPA), including fines up to 10 billion won, business suspensions, and loan restrictions - steps that reflect the president's influence in the finance and politics sectors as well as the science of safety and wellness in the industry.
