[비즈한국] Under the Lee Jae-myung administration's policy of responding strictly to industrial accidents, the likelihood of disclosing information about companies involved in major industrial accidents has increased. During a recent parliamentary audit, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon stated that the ministry does not intend to appeal a court ruling that orders the disclosure of information regarding companies involved in major industrial accidents. Furthermore, the Ministry of Employment and Labor is once again pushing to make disaster investigation reports public. Some in the business sector are expressing concern over the potential burden.
On the 15th, during the Ministry of Employment and Labor's audit by the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment, and Labor Committee, Representative Lee Yong-woo of the Democratic Party of Korea asked Minister Kim Young-hoon whether the ministry would appeal the second-instance court ruling that ordered the disclosure of the names of companies involved in major industrial accidents. Minister Kim replied, "While the Ministry of Justice is the principal party, I do not believe there is a need for the Ministry of Labor to appeal." A ministry official stated, "Nothing has been decided yet as the appeal period remains," adding, "Administrative litigation requires consultation with the Ministry of Justice," but it appears highly likely that they will forgo an appeal.
This lawsuit was filed by the Center for Freedom of Information and Transparent Society (FOI Center) against the Ministry of Employment and Labor, demanding the cancellation of the ministry's refusal to disclose information on the "Status of Major Industrial Accidents in 2022." The lawsuit aimed to disclose information such as: △names of prime and subcontracting companies, △supervisors in charge, △details of administrative measures, and △transfer opinions for cases where major industrial accidents occurred (Related article: "Court Rules in Favor of Disclosing Information on Companies Involved in Major Industrial Accidents in Second Instance").
With the Ministry of Labor signaling its intent to forgo an appeal, requests for public disclosure regarding companies involved in major industrial accidents are expected to become more active. Kim Ye-chan, an activist at the FOI Center, welcomed the news, stating, "(The ministry) should naturally forgo the appeal," and adding, "If the data accumulates, it can serve as a foundation for industrial accident prevention."
The disclosure of information about companies involved in major industrial accidents is expected to put pressure on the industry. A shipbuilding industry official said, "It is true that this is a burden," but added, "Because it is the government's stance, we are increasing our safety management budget every year."
In some parts of the business community, there is a palpable concern about "stigmatization." A construction industry official argued, "If a company's name is disclosed before a sentence is finalized, it could negatively affect its stock price," and added, "As there are findings that industrial accidents have actually increased since the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, there is a need to improve industrial accident policies by providing not only punishments but also incentives."
The disclosure of disaster investigation reports is also being pushed. A disaster investigation report is a document prepared by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency when a major accident occurs, serving as a crucial basis for identifying the cause of the accident and determining responsibility. The Ministry of Labor had previously withheld these reports even from the victims' bereaved families on the grounds that they are investigative materials. Although the ministry announced in 2023 that it would push for disclosure, not a single report has been released to date.
On March 6, Representative Lee Yong-woo proposed a partial amendment to the Occupational Safety and Health Act that would mandate the disclosure of disaster investigation reports. The amendment includes provisions to disclose disaster investigation reports within six months of a major accident to ensure the right to know and effective remedies for victims and their families. It makes disclosure mandatory within three months if requested by bereaved families and stipulates that even the final investigation report on the major accident can be disclosed after the prosecution files an indictment. Representative Lee stated, "The purpose of disclosing the reports is to help prove the link to work-related accidents and provide lessons for accident prevention to other businesses in the same industry."
The Ministry of Labor is also once again pushing for the disclosure of disaster investigation reports. A ministry official said, "As we have included relevant content in the Comprehensive Measures for Labor Safety announced on September 15, we will put more effort into promoting the disclosure of disaster investigation reports."
Civil society points out that without disclosing disaster investigation reports, it is difficult to guarantee the credibility of investigations, and accident cases cannot be accumulated as social knowledge or lessons for prevention. Park Han-sol, secretary-general of the Workers' Health Solidarity, expected, "Disaster investigation reports have significance as the first official documents created when an industrial accident occurs," and added, "If they are disclosed, the government can also demonstrate a stronger will to prevent workplace fatalities while expanding the personnel responsible for these investigations."