[Unofficial translation provided by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

"Death Toll from Workplace Accidents Drops by 1.5%, But Manufacturing Sector Sees an Increase Due to Aricel Incident”, 11 March 2025

The number of workers who died in accidents last year due to possible violations of safety regulations, such as inadequate safety measures at industrial sites, has decreased compared to the previous year.

According to the '2024 Industrial Accident Statistics Supplementary Report' published by the Ministry of Employment and Labour on March 11, the number of fatal accidents subject to investigation was recorded at 589 in 2024. This is a 1.5% (9-person) decrease from the 598 fatalities in the previous year. The number of fatal accidents also fell by 5.3%, from 584 cases to 553 cases.

…When broken down by industry, the construction sector reported 276 fatalities, marking an 8.9% (27-person) decrease over the course of the year. (…) In contrast, the manufacturing sector saw 175 fatalities, a 2.9% (5-person) increase, with the tragic Aricel fire accident in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, which claimed the lives of 23 workers, having a significant impact.

…The government has announced plans to strengthen its industrial safety and health policies to reduce major accidents. The Ministry of Employment and Labour stated, "We will focus on high-risk sectors, such as construction and shipbuilding, and businesses with a higher likelihood of accidents." It also emphasised plans to identify and share best practices for safety and health in the workplace, expand consulting for safety and health management systems, and improve the effectiveness of on-site safety measures.