SOUTH KOREA — South Korea’s National Assembly passed amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act on 1 October 2026, introducing profit-linked penalties for qualifying fatal workplace accidents.
ChosunBiz, reporting a Ministry of Employment and Labor announcement, said corporations breaching safety and health obligations could face surcharges of up to 5% of operating profit where industrial accidents kill at least three workers within a year.
The report states that the surcharge provision takes effect six months after promulgation. Passage by the National Assembly does not itself establish the start of that period.
The amendments expand grounds for stoppage orders to accidents leaving a worker in a coma or with uncertain survival. Subcontracted workers will also be able to request a stoppage.
The package includes a mechanism for requesting cancellation of construction companies’ business registrations following qualifying fatal accidents. It also provides rewards for reporting violations and a legal basis for a committee involving workers, employers and government.
These details reflect ChosunBiz’s account; precise legal conditions and commencement provisions should be checked against the adopted legislation.
The practical issue for employers is how their existing prevention arrangements perform on high-risk work. A review should ask:
Organisations with Korean operations should confirm the final statutory requirements and effective dates before changing compliance procedures. A safety management review should address operational weaknesses as well as financial exposure.
Source: ChosunBiz, 1 October 2026, reporting Ministry of Employment and Labor statements.
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ChosunBizbiz.chosun.com