ed Disregard for safety

A series of subway accidents has once again triggered public indignation over Korea’s widespread negligence toward safety.

In an explosion at a construction site in Namyangju Wednesday, four workers were killed and 10 others injured. All 14 were employed by Maeil ENC, a subcontractor of POSCO Engineering & Construction, the prime contractor.

Police investigating Wednesday's explosion and collapse of the subway construction site raided the offices of five companies involved in the project Friday. Authorities should conduct a thorough investigation to uncover whether there were any violations of safety regulations and illegal subcontracting practices.

These kinds of accidents have continued to take place, showing that Korea lags far behind advanced countries in upholding safety regulations. They also show that Korea’s disregard for safety has not improved two years since the Sewol ferry sinking that took more than 300 lives.

In the aftermath of the maritime tragedy, President Park Geun-hye established a ministry of public safety. Despite such efforts, many people still feel that post-Sewol Korea is not safer. A recent report showed that 25,132 people were injured at construction sites last year and among them, 493 workers died. Just this year alone, there have been 14 accidents related to trains and airplanes that could have resulted in serious injury.

The Namyangju accident comes only weeks after Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn hosted a meeting on policies to reduce accidents at construction sites with the relevant ministries, showing that the government’s safety-first policies have not been effective.

The subway incident in Namyangju came on the heels of another accident at Guui Station in eastern Seoul, where a 19-year-old mechanic died after being hit by an arriving train while repairing a safety door. He was employed by Eunseong PSD, a subcontractor for Seoul Metro that operates the subway. The accident highlighted the need for protection for workers at subcontractors.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, deaths of subcontractor workers accounted for 40.2 percent of the total worksite deaths from industrial accidents last year, up from 37.7 percent in 2012. Out of seven people who died at construction sites of Hyundai Heavy Industries this year, five were subcontractor workers.