What does South Korea's revised workplace safety bill do?

It allows financial penalties of up to 5 percent of a company’s operating profit when three or more workers die in industrial accidents within a year and safety regulations were violated. The bill was passed by the National Assembly despite objections from the main opposition party.

How did the National Assembly vote on the occupational safety bill and who opposed it?

The bill passed 161-52 with six abstentions. The People Power Party opposed it, arguing that the 5 percent threshold would be excessive and would burden companies, while the Democratic Party of Korea defended it as a cap based on operating profit.

What changes were made to the Emergency Medical Service Act?

The revision authorizes medical authorities to designate a hospital for critically ill patients when paramedics cannot find one that will accept them. Hospitals that refuse admission must also provide legitimate reasons for the refusal.

Nat'l Assembly passes bill introducing profit-based penalties over workplace deaths

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Summary

The National Assembly on Thursday passed a revised bill to impose financial penalties on companies over fatal industrial accidents and strengthen workplace safety. The bill passed 161-52 with six abstentions despite opposition from the People Power Party. It would allow fines of up to 5 percent of a company’s operating profit if three or more workers die in industrial accidents within a year. The Assembly also passed an Emergency Medical Service Act revision to help prevent hospitals from refusing emergency patients.

Key Facts

The revised Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in a 161-52 vote with six abstentions during a parliamentary plenary session.
The bill sets a fine of up to 5 percent of a company’s operating profit when three or more workers die in industrial accidents within one year and safety rules were violated.
The National Assembly also passed a revision to the Emergency Medical Service Act to stop hospitals from refusing emergency patients.
Under the medical revision, authorities can designate a hospital for critically ill patients if paramedics cannot find one willing to accept them.
Hospitals that refuse to accept a patient will be required to provide legitimate reasons for the refusal.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 1, 2026 6:23 pm KST

The National Assembly in Seoul passes a bill aimed at preventing hospitals from refusing to admit emergency patients, Thursday. Yonhap

The National Assembly on Thursday passed a revised bill imposing financial penalties on companies over fatal industrial accidents to better protect workers and strengthen workplace safety.

The revision to the Occupational Safety and Health Act passed in a 161-52 vote with six abstentions during a parliamentary plenary session, despite objections from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

The revision calls for imposing a fine of up to five percent of the company's operating profit for violating safety regulations when three or more workers die in industrial accidents within a year.

The PPP has argued that the five percent threshold would be excessive, citing the financial burden it could place on companies, while the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has criticized the PPP for blocking the bill to protect corporate interests rather than workers.

"The conditions are already difficult for companies to grow," PPP chief spokesperson Rep. Choi Soo-jin told reporters before the plenary session. "We clearly oppose the bill because we believe it places a burden on companies."

During a debate at the session, DPK Rep. Lee Yong-woo dismissed concerns that the fine would be excessive, stressing that it has a cap and is based on operating profit, not sales.

"Saying that hundreds of billions or trillions of won would be imposed in fines is an absolute distortion," he said.

The Assembly also passed a revision to the Emergency Medical Service Act aimed at preventing hospitals from refusing to admit emergency patients.

Under the revision, medical authorities will be authorized to designate a hospital for critically ill patients if paramedics cannot find a medical institution that will accept them.

Such medical institutions will also be required to provide legitimate reasons for refusing to accept a patient.

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