Police to form dedicated investigation teams for industrial accidents

Park Sung-joo, chief of the National Office of Investigation / Yonhap

Police will establish dedicated teams to investigate industrial accidents at metropolitan and provincial police agencies across the country following President Lee Jae Myung's instruction, a top police official said Monday.

Park Sung-joo, chief of the National Office of Investigation, said the National Police Agency plans to set up an investigative command center for industrial accidents and major disasters across the country, while dedicated investigation teams will be established at criminal investigation units of the metropolitan and provincial police agencies nationwide.

Police will also discuss ways to establish a close investigative cooperation system with the labor ministry, Park said in a meeting with reporters.

Lee instructed the formation of a dedicated investigation team system to eradicate fatal industrial accidents during a Cabinet meeting last week. Lee called for stronger workplace safety measures to prevent fatal industrial accidents and tougher punishments against violators, following the fifth fatal workplace accident this year at a construction site operated by POSCO E&C Co., a subsidiary of steelmaker POSCO.