[비즈한국] CEOs of major Korean construction firms have spoken with one voice about 'safety' in their New Year's addresses for 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse. Amid growing concerns that persistent serious accidents at construction sites are threatening the very existence of construction companies, executives have reaffirmed strengthening site safety as a key management task.
According to each company, the CEOs of Samsung C&T 028260's Engineering & Construction Group, Daewoo E&C 047040, DL E&C 375500, and GS E&C 006360 recently delivered their New Year's messages to employees. Along with business strategies such as technological competitiveness and digital transformation, the prevention of serious accidents and the establishment of a site safety culture were presented as common themes. Lee Han-woo, CEO of Hyundai E&C 000720, did not issue a separate New Year's address this year.
Oh Se-chul, CEO of Samsung C&T's Engineering & Construction Group, urged, "We must lay the foundation for sustainable growth by going beyond existing habits to implement bold execution, strengthen technology-centered competitiveness, and enhance efficiency through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Transformation (DT). In particular, let us make safety our top management priority to fundamentally eliminate serious accidents and make this a year of leaping forward through dynamic challenges."
Kim Bo-hyun, CEO of Daewoo E&C, also emphasized, "Safety is a lifeline that can never be compromised." CEO Kim presented three core tasks to respond to the changing paradigm of the construction industry this year: 'Hyper Safety,' which blocks the possibility of accidents at the source through smart technology-based preemptive prevention systems; 'Hyper Quality,' which realizes customer satisfaction through overwhelming construction quality and delicate finishing; and 'Hyper Connect,' which organically links sites with headquarters and technology with people through BIM and AI-centered Digital Transformation (DX).
Park Sang-shin, CEO of DL E&C, cited safety as the first action item for 2026. CEO Park stated, "2026 must be the year we fundamentally shift our perception of safety. We must now operate predictive management systems based on accumulated data, sever ties with subcontractors who cannot follow safety protocols, and ensure there is not a single worker on our sites working unsafely. Results without safety cannot be sustained, and the realistic realization that safety equals survival must be internalized throughout the organization."
Heo Yoon-hong, CEO of GS E&C, said, "2026 is an important turning point to solidify our basics, build future capabilities, and complete a sustainable growth system. Quality, safety, compliance with fair trade, and lawful management are our immutable core tasks and practical goals for leaping forward as a sustainable company. As we begin 2026, I ask you to keep the company's vision in mind and do your best in your respective roles this year."
Industrial accidents at major construction firms are on the rise. According to data on industrial accidents among the top 10 domestic construction companies by construction capability (based on the approval date of industrial accident compensation by the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service), a total of 122 workers died in accidents at these firms over the five-year period from 2020 to the first half of last year. The number of fatal accidents at the top 10 construction firms increased from 10 in 2023 to 21 in 2024, and reached 21 as of the first half of 2025.
According to industrial accident statistics released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the cumulative number of annual construction site fatalities up to the third quarter of last year was 210, an increase of 7 (3.4%) compared to the same period the previous year. While the increase is analyzed to have been influenced by a rise of 19 deaths compared to the same period last year in small construction sites under 500 million won, which have relatively short construction periods and poor safety management, large-scale accidents such as the resort construction site fire in Gijang-gun, Busan (6 deaths) and the Sejong-Anseong expressway collapse (4 deaths) also significantly contributed to the increase in deaths last year.