Seoul: The government has announced plans to create legal grounds for dismissing heads of public institutions in the event of severe workplace accidents, as reported by the finance ministry on Monday. This initiative comes in response to a recent tragic incident involving two subcontracted workers who were killed and four others seriously injured after being hit by a passenger train in Cheongdo.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the measure was a key topic of discussion during a government meeting on public safety, which was presided over by Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol. The government is looking to revise existing laws concerning public institutions to emphasize "safety management" as an essential operational principle.
The proposed legal changes will include provisions that allow for the dismissal of institutional heads deemed responsible for significant industrial accidents. Additionally, the government plans to enhance the importance of safety in annual management evaluations of public institutions, aiming to prevent future incidents and hold leaders accountable for lapses in safety measures.