Labor ministry arrests parking facility executives for fatal fall

The labor ministry announced Friday that it has arrested the chief executive and site manager of a parking facility construction company for violating serious accident punishment laws following a fatal fall in Gangnam. The Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office secured arrest warrants on July 25, marking the first such detention in the Seoul metropolitan area under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the fourth nationwide this year.

The investigation centered on a March 10, 2024, incident where a worker fell approximately 15.7 meters through an opening created during the demolition of a mechanical parking system. The victim died while dismantling lift gears after parking pallets and turntables were removed, leaving an unprotected gap at the work site.

The ministry cited evidence gathered from raids on both companies and a disaster report from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency as proof that the executives neglected their duty to prevent the accident. Authorities stated that the suspects posed a high risk of destroying evidence or fleeing given the severity of the negligence, noting that the case involved a death resulting from a failure to implement basic safety protocols. The labor office emphasized it will actively utilize compulsory investigations, including raids and arrests, even for non-major fatalities if similar accidents recur due to ignored safety rules.