Following Series of Sanitation Worker Fatalities, Kang Hoon-sik States, "Workplaces Must Not Become Sites of Death"... Orders Safety Measures

An average of 836 workplace accidents per year over the past three years
Widespread exceptions to 'three-person teams' and 'daytime shifts' under review
Knowledge industry center vacancy rate at 44%
Comprehensive measures including use conv

On September 7, Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff to the President, instructed relevant ministries to identify the reasons why the principles of "three-person teams" and "daytime shifts" are not being properly implemented in the field following a series of recent sanitation worker fatalities, and to establish effective safety measures.

Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff to the President, Yonhap News Agency

Presiding over a meeting of senior aides and advisors at the Blue House on this day, Chief Kang referred to a string of sanitation worker deaths in Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk and Seoul, emphasizing, "Workplaces people go to in order to make a living should never become sites of death." According to official data, there was an annual average of 836 industrial accidents involving sanitation workers from 2023 to last year. The government made three-person teams and daytime shifts mandatory for sanitation workers starting December 2019 to ensure their safety, but the presidential office has assessed that field operations are rife with exceptions to these rules.

Kang underscored that these recurring accidents are not simply the result of poor management by individual business sites or local governments, but rather stem from structural issues. Accordingly, he directed relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Labor, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, to investigate why these work principles are not functioning properly at work sites, to examine the current state of exceptions, and to swiftly develop remedial measures.

In addition, Kang called for fundamental institutional reform regarding knowledge industry centers, which are facing growing concerns over deterioration due to a surge in vacancies. The presidential office assessed that, around 2020, excessive pursuit of profit by builders and developers, coupled with indiscriminate approvals by some local governments amid a low-interest rate environment and a real estate investment boom, led to a rapid increase in supply.

In fact, over the past three years, the average unsold rate for newly completed knowledge industry centers stood at 27%, while the vacancy rate reached 44%. In certain areas with unfavorable locations, the vacancy rate has exceeded 70%, with some buildings effectively abandoned as "ghost buildings."

Kang particularly pointed out, "The public is being deceived by false or exaggerated advertisements, falling victim to pre-sales fraud and speculative resale schemes," stressing that a fundamental overhaul, rather than temporary fixes, is necessary. He then instructed related ministries, including the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, to promptly establish a comprehensive measure for reducing vacancies and improving the system at knowledge industry centers. These measures should include: proactive repurposing efforts to reduce vacancies; reforming tenant industries and eligibility criteria to reflect current industry trends; and establishing tighter management and oversight systems to break the vicious cycle of "pre-sales followed by neglect."

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