Serious Accidents and Workplace Safety
Serious Accidents Punishment Act, employer liability, compliance
Serious Accidents and Workplace Safety
Korea's Serious Accidents Punishment Act makes the person who runs a business personally liable when a worker or a member of the public dies or is seriously injured and the required safety and health systems were not in place. Investigations begin within hours of an accident, and the documents produced in the first days decide how the case develops.
Daehanjoongang Law Firm handles the emergency response after an accident, represents the company and its officers during police and labor-ministry questioning, defends the person in charge at trial, and reviews safety and health systems before anything goes wrong.
What we handle
Emergency response after a workplace death or injury
Police and Ministry of Employment and Labor investigations
Criminal liability of the person in charge (CEO or site manager)
Industrial Safety and Health Act violations
Safety and health management systems and compliance reviews
Serious civic accidents (public facilities, products, services)
Settlements with victims and their families
What foreign nationals should know
A foreign national who runs a Korean company or branch can be the person in charge under the Act. Foreign management does not reduce liability; the question is whether the safety duties were met.
Investigators may ask for an interview quickly. You may ask for an interpreter and for an attorney to be present, and you should not sign statements you cannot read.
Many documents that matter are internal: risk assessments, safety budgets, training records and reports to management. We help you gather them before the investigators ask.
A conviction can affect the company's licenses and the visa status of foreign officers. We plan the defense with those consequences in mind.
Frequently asked questions
Secure medical care and preserve the scene, report to the authorities within the legal deadline, and contact an attorney before giving any detailed statement. Early statements by managers are often used later against the company and the person in charge.
Usually the CEO or the person who in practice controls safety decisions and budgets. Titles alone do not decide it; investigators look at who actually made the decisions.
Since 2024 it applies to workplaces with five or more employees, which brought most small businesses within its scope. Construction sites are covered by contract size as well.
Yes. A settlement does not end the criminal case, but it is one of the strongest factors in how the case is resolved. We negotiate and document it so that it is recognized by investigators and the court.
This page provides general information about Korean law and is not legal advice. Outcomes depend on the facts of each case. Consultations are paid and are held in English or with an interpreter.