Labor ministry mandates annual safety disclosures for large firms

The labor ministry issued a revised presidential decree requiring large enterprises to publicly disclose their occupational safety and health status annually. The regulation, which implements follow-up measures from the comprehensive labor safety plan announced in September 2025, targets business owners with 500 or more regular employees, as well as construction firms undertaking annual projects valued at 120 billion won or more.

Under the new rules, these entities must include specific data points in their reports, such as fatal accidents involving workers from subcontractors at contracted sites. Public institutions and local public corporations acting as construction project orderers must also disclose death tolls among both direct and subcontractor employees involved in their projects.

The decree obligates these workplaces to appoint honorary industrial safety supervisors chosen from recommendations made by worker representatives across the entire workplace. This change expands the pool of eligible employee representatives who can recommend candidates for the supervisory role.

Business owners that failed to implement necessary safety measures and subsequently suffered two or more industrial accidents involving fires, explosions, or collapses within the past year must now formulate and execute a safety and health improvement plan. The ministry added these repeat-offender sites to the list of those subject to mandatory improvement orders.

Fines for failing to conduct risk assessments or omitting mandatory worker participation procedures will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, for workplaces with 50 or more employees. Smaller operations with fewer than 50 staff will face the same penalties starting Jan. 1, 2028.