Workplace Safety Field Guide
The Workplace Safety Field Guide is a series on Korean workplace safety regulation and law. It covers law changes, risk assessment, the Serious Accidents Act, and heat-work rules, grounded in official sources.
Semiconductor Plant Inspection: 338 Violations
On September 20, 2026, Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) published the results of a focused inspection of 27 semiconductor manufacturing sites. The inspection found…
Korea's H1 2026 Work Deaths: Falls Down, Fires Up
Korea recorded 253 investigated workplace accident deaths in the first half of 2026, down 34 (11.8%) from the same period a year earlier. Construction and fall deaths dropped…
Korea's 2026 Crackdown on Repeat Factory Accidents
Korea stepped up enforcement against manufacturers where the same type of accident keeps happening at the same workplace, with a run of government measures in July and August…
Draft Decree Adds Lithium Primary Batteries to PSM
On July 14, 2026, Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) issued advance notice of draft amendments to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rule of the Occupational…
Port Cargo-Handling Accidents and Field Checks
Port cargo handling moves heavy, long cargo with cranes, forklifts, and transport vehicles through the same space where people work on foot, and vessel schedules keep the pace…
Construction Falls: 2025 Data and the First Ruling
Korea's provisional 2025 count of investigated workplace accident deaths was 605, and construction accounted for 286 of them, the largest share of any industry. Falls rose from…
Serious Accidents Act First Ruling and Article 4
Korea's first conviction under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act came on April 6, 2023. It showed for the first time how a court weighs an executive's duty to secure safety and…
Safety and Health Disclosure Starts August 1
Korea's safety and health disclosure duty takes effect on August 1, 2026, requiring corporations with 500 or more regular workers and major public institutions to disclose their…
Heat-Work Break Duties by Apparent Temperature
Korean heat-work rules turn on apparent temperature. Work of long duration at 31°C or above counts as heat work under the Rules on Occupational Safety and Health Standards. From…
Serious Accidents Act: Nine Duties and Enforcement
The review of Korea's Serious Accidents Punishment Act recorded forty-nine guilty judgments across 1,252 cases. Of those cases, 917 were still under investigation when the figures…
Korean Risk Assessment in 5 Steps: 2026 Guide
When an operator reports an unusual sound from rotating equipment, the team needs to check the work scope and current controls. The five stages of a Korean workplace risk…
2026 Korean Workplace Safety Law Changes by Date
Korea's 2026 workplace safety changes take effect on June 1, June 26, and August 1. Worker participation duties in risk assessment and the expanded safety inspection scope are…
