By Kim Hyun-bin

Dongkuk Steel finds itself in the hot seat, as its top managers could face criminal changes under the nation's industrial accident law following the death of a worker at the firm's Pohang plant, according to industrial officials Wednesday.

Investigation is underway to see if management was negligent in safety resulting in the lethal accident, and to see if the accident could be punishable under the Serious Accident Punishment Act.

If the law is applied, Dongkuk Steel will become the first to be punished under the Serious Accident Punishment Act. The act, which went into effect on Jan. 27, states that the owner or chief manager of a company can face jail time and the company can be fined, if a fatal industrial accident occurs at a worksite where the company has not taken sufficient safety measures. Dongkuk Steel is subject to the act as it has more than 50 full-time workers.

"Investigative authorities are thoroughly investigating the case and we are fully cooperating with them," a Dongkuk Steel official said. "It is a tragedy for a worker at our site to have died and we send our condolences to the bereaved family members."
The police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor are speeding up their investigation into the accident, in which a Dongkuk Steel subcontractor employee in his 30s died while repairing a 20-meter crane.

Dongkuk Steel CEO Jang Sae-wook

A joint on-site investigation by the police, the labor ministry and the National Forensic Service are working to determine the exact cause of the incident. The North Gyeongsang Police Agency's violent crime investigation unit is handling the case and investigating whether the company was in compliance with safety standards.

The labor ministry is also investigating the possibility that the worker might have died due to safety management issues, and has appointed the Daegu Regional Employment and Labor Office to investigate the case.

"Whether to file a case or not in relation to the Serious Accident Punishment Act will be decided based on if management was responsible for lax safety measures," the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the police said. "We plan to thoroughly investigate why the crane was in operation and what safety problems there were."