On June 9, a worker fell to his death at the construction site of the Shinansan Line double-track railway in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on June 11 that it plans to implement special measures, including enhanced oversight of POSCO E&C's headquarters and construction sites nationwide.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:26 PM in an electrical conduit room at the construction site, resulting in one fatality. According to the ministry, there have been a total of 10 deaths at POSCO E&C since 2023, with one death in 2023, three in 2024, five in 2025, and one this year. Notably, the Shinansan Line construction site has experienced repeated fatalities.
Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon, currently attending the International Labour Organization (ILO) conference in Geneva, Switzerland, instructed that immediate and decisive measures be taken following the report of the accident.
The ministry plans to conduct joint inspections with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at seven work sections of the Shinansan Line construction site to assess overall safety management practices.
If significant risks such as falls or collapses are identified during the inspections, the ministry will issue safety and health diagnosis orders and designate dedicated supervisors for focused management. Unannounced inspections will also be carried out at other POSCO E&C construction sites.
Additionally, the ministry will oversee POSCO E&C's headquarters to verify compliance with safety and health management system improvements recommended by the government in January. Any deficiencies will require the company to develop improvement plans.
In connection with this incident, the ministry plans to pursue compulsory investigations, including searches, to determine the cause of the accident and investigate potential violations of the Industrial Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
Upon his return, Minister Kim intends to convene representatives from POSCO E&C and other affiliates of the POSCO Group to review safety management practices and demand measures to prevent future incidents.
Minister Kim stated, "The recurrence of fall accidents due to the failure to implement basic safety measures raises questions about the effectiveness of disaster prevention measures. We will hold accountable any violations and strongly demand fundamental measures to prevent serious accidents from happening again."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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