KORLast month, a subcontractor worker in his 50s was crushed to death by a mound of soil at a new petrochemical complex construction site in Ulsan. It has been confirmed that there was not even a single earth-retaining wall at the construction site, into which more than 9 trillion won has been poured.
Morning Zoom-In, with reporter Kwon Min-kyu.
Workers in fluorescent vests move urgently, and several continuously dig out soil with their hands and shovels.
[Move aside!]
This was the situation immediately after a subcontractor worker in his 50s, surnamed Jung, was buried under a pile of soil at the S-Oil petrochemical complex construction site in Onsan-eup, Ulsan, last June.
The soil, softened by rain that fell until dawn that day, collapsed and engulfed Jung, who was excavating on a slope beneath a temporary bridge.
[Accident Witness: About seven or eight people came to clear it, but it wouldn't budge. It was too heavy. Eventually, they had to dig into the ground to pull him out....]
Jung was transferred to the hospital in a state of cardiac arrest and ultimately passed away.
However, video footage obtained by SBS right after the accident shows no earth-retaining facilities to block the pouring soil.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Act, when conducting excavation work, a proper slope gradient must be secured, or earth-retaining walls must be installed in areas where risks are anticipated.
Yet, there were no earth-retaining facilities, and it was found that the accident site was a steep incline exceeding safety slope standards.
The site of the accident was the Shaheen Project, which the government promoted three years ago as an achievement of economic diplomacy with Saudi Arabia.
The Shaheen Project poured a staggering 9.3 trillion won into an 880,000-square-meter site, but the safety of frontline workers was not guaranteed.
In 2024, when the Shaheen Project construction got into full swing, 53 industrial accidents occurred, followed by 170 accidents last year, and 127 industrial accidents in the first half of this year alone, including two fatalities.
[Accident Witness: Small accidents gradually lead to bigger ones, so aren't these continuously foreseeable accidents? I don't think there are accidents where 'it couldn't be helped.']
[Kim So-hee / People Power Party Lawmaker (National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee): As the Serious Accidents Punishment Act focuses too heavily on strengthening punishment, there needs to be a shift toward providing incentives for companies to strengthen their investments in safety.]
When SBS asked for its position, S-Oil declined to issue a separate statement, while the constructor, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, stated that it is cooperating with police and Ministry of Labor investigations and will prepare countermeasures to prevent similar accidents from recurring.
(Video Journalist: Kim Young-hwan | Video Editor: So Ji-hye | Designer: Cho Su-in)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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