On August 8, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Employment and Labor held a roundtable with representatives from the Korea Employers Federation, manufacturing industry associations, and other sector groups to strengthen corporate awareness around safety and accident prevention.

This meeting was organized as a follow-up to a previous Cabinet meeting on July 29, where the eradication of serious workplace accidents in industrial settings was discussed.

During the event, the Industrial Safety and Health Research Institute presented research findings showing that companies with higher rates of workplace accidents tend to have lower productivity, emphasizing that investments in safety directly benefit corporate performance.

Industry stakeholders also shared exemplary cases for improving workplace safety, such as the implementation of artificial intelligence-based anomaly detection systems.

The two ministries plan to establish dedicated task forces with sectoral associations and groups to proactively identify and resolve challenges related to safety investments in the workplace. Additional efforts will include holding industry-specific safety forums, with the aim of preventing serious accidents.

Lee Seung-ryul, Director General for Industrial Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated, "We will further promote these best practices and encourage companies to regard safety as an essential investment," adding, "Please prioritize worker safety not only in manufacturing but across all fields."

Kim Jong-yoon, Director General of the Industrial Safety and Health Headquarters, emphasized, "Worker safety must not be taken lightly," and called on labor, management, and industry associations to cooperate responsibly to make 2025 the first year of eliminating fatal industrial accidents.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News Agency