Lax Oversight of Pilates Certification Leads to Growing Instructor Liability

1,549 Types of Private Qualifications

"State Management System for Certification Needed"

Court rulings are increasingly recognizing the Pilates instructor's duty of care for safety in injury accidents that occur during classes. Amid this trend, there are rising calls to strengthen both qualification management and safety training, as instructors are primarily certified through private credentials due to the absence of a national qualification system.

Reliance on Private Qualifications Without a National License

Courts Are Consecutively Recognizing Instructors' Duty of Care in Injuries Occurred During Pilates Classes. The Law Times.

The Act on Installation and Utilization of Sports Facilities requires sports instructors to be placed in facilities above a certain size. However, unlike bodybuilding, Pilates is not included in the categories covered by the National License for Lifestyle Sports Instructors. Most Pilates instructors are certified through private programs. The problem is that with an excessive number of related qualifications, it is difficult to guarantee the quality and expertise of the training.

As of July 13, 2026, there are 1,549 private qualification certificates registered with the term "Pilates" in their titles on the Private Qualification Information Service. In comparison, there are only 64 private qualifications related to "soccer" under the same criteria.

Court: "Instructors Have a Duty of Care for Safety"

The courts have also ruled that Pilates instructors are obligated to take reasonable care for the safety of their students.

On March 13, Presiding Judge Jeong Chanwoo of the Seoul Northern District Court Civil Division 16 recognized the instructor's liability for damages to a student injured during a Pilates class (2023Gadan170793). Judge Jeong stated, "The instructor is burdened with a duty of care for safety, including selecting equipment that is appropriate for the exercise."

In this case, a woman in her sixties, referred to as A, suffered a spinal fracture after falling backward while performing a step movement on a reformer box (one of the Pilates devices) under the instructor's instruction in October 2021. She alternately placed her feet on and off the box as instructed.

According to the user manual for the product, provided to The Legal News by the attorney representing A, Seoyounghyeon (35th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), the reformer box in question was not suitable for exercises such as step aerobics, and using it for purposes other than its intended use could pose a risk to users.

This is not the only judgment recognizing an instructor's liability for injuries during Pilates classes. Other courts, including the Seoul Central District Court (2019Gadan5222631), Suwon District Court Pyeongtaek Branch (2021Gadan59104), and Busan District Court (2024Gadan350595), have also acknowledged instructor negligence.

"Pilates Should Also Be Considered for National Qualification"

Experts say the system needs improvement to ensure the expertise of Pilates instructors.

Yoon Sukhyang, Professor of Medical Pilates at Kookmin University Graduate School of Sport Industry, explained, "Some institutions operate qualification programs on a short-term, low-cost basis without providing adequate instruction," and added, "If safety education is insufficient, the risk of accidents increases."

Jung Hyuna, adjunct professor of Exercise Therapy at Gachon University Graduate School of Special Therapy, stated, "It is necessary to consider ways to manage Pilates under a national qualification system."

Baek Jinwoo, The Legal News Reporter

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.