Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon Addresses Safety Concerns in Manufacturing Sector

Kim Young-hoon, the Minister of Employment and Labor, stated on July 3 that the recurrence of the same accidents at the same workplace is clear evidence that companies have failed to establish safety management systems or have neglected known risks. He emphasized that safety must be prioritized above productivity and costs, urging the implementation of the most stringent measures to prevent recurrences.
During an emergency meeting with representatives from 15 manufacturing companies, including Hyundai Motor and Samlip, Minister Kim addressed the need to eradicate repetitive industrial accidents in the sector. He noted that the ongoing incidents of primitive accidents, such as entrapments, falls, and collisions, at large enterprises must be taken seriously.
He mentioned that by July 10, local agency heads will conduct focused inspections at workplaces where entrapment accidents frequently occur to ensure compliance with key safety regulations. He stressed that strong administrative and legal actions will be taken against any workplaces found to be in violation of the law.
The meeting also included participation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, which agreed to actively collaborate to eliminate repetitive industrial accidents. Key manufacturing companies announced their focused improvement measures to address the recurrence of similar industrial accidents, such as entrapments.
Hyundai Motor plans to increase its annual safety investments by about 10% and enhance nighttime patrols using patrol robots. Samlip will ensure workers' rights to halt work, while HD Hyundai Samho mentioned implementing an artificial intelligence (AI) system for predicting safety accidents and using drones to eliminate industrial accidents.
Minister Kim urged that core safety regulations must be thoroughly integrated into the workplace, calling for increased safety investments and systematic improvements to work processes. He encouraged workers who are familiar with the site to participate in risk assessments to help prevent hazards proactively.
He also noted that this summer is expected to bring stronger heat than usual, urging that precautions be taken to prevent heat-related industrial accidents by adhering to the 'Five Safety Rules for Heat Waves.' He reiterated that protecting the lives of citizens is the government's primary responsibility and pledged to expedite legislative measures to strengthen economic sanctions for safer workplaces.

* This article has been translated by AI.