Gov't seeks legal grounds to dismiss heads of public firms over major safety accidents
Police, firefighters and Korea Railroad Corp. officials inspect a rail track where a passenger train struck seven workers conducting safety inspections in the southeastern county of Cheongdo, Aug. 19. Yonhap
The government plans to establish legal grounds to dismiss the head of a public institution in the event of serious workplace accidents, the finance ministry said Monday.
The measure was discussed during a government meeting on public safety, presided over by Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol.
It follows a fatal incident in late August in which two subcontracted workers were killed and four others were seriously injured after being struck by a passenger train in the southeastern county of Cheongdo.
As part of the plan, the government will seek to revise the relevant law on public institutions to stipulate "safety management" as a core principle in operations.
The revision will include provisions allowing for the dismissal of institutional heads found responsible for major industrial accidents, the ministry said.
The government also aims to strengthen the role of safety in the annual management evaluations of public institutions, the ministry added.