Survivors of HL Mando's Pyeongtaek factory accident urge the Ministry of Employment and Labor to disclose the circumstances of the accident

Even though it has been 50 days since the accident occurred, I have not been able to hear an explanation of the circumstances and cause of the accident.

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Yang Soo-yeon = Regarding the accident in which a subcontractor in his 20s died after getting caught in a machine at HL Mando's Pyeongtaek factory in Gyeonggi Province, the bereaved family urged the Ministry of Employment and Labor to disclose the details of the accident investigation.

At a press conference held in front of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office on the morning of the 7th, the 'Mando Pyeongtaek Factory Young Irregular Worker Late Kim Seung-mo Serious Disaster Countermeasures Committee' made this request, saying, "Guarantee the right to know of the families of victims of serious disasters."

The bereaved families say they have not received an explanation about the circumstances and cause of the accident from the Ministry of Employment and Labor even 50 days after the accident.

The late Kim Seung-mo's father expressed his frustration, saying, "From the time my son died until now, they haven't even given me basic information about his death and only say, 'We're investigating.'" He added, "Do you want me and my family to explode and die?"

The current Occupational Safety and Health Act stipulates that the timing of disclosure of the disaster investigation report is after the filing of a prosecution for the incident.

However, as the issue of alienating the bereaved family was repeated during the industrial accident control process, the Ministry of Labor announced its position that it would explain the circumstances and progress of the accident to the extent of not affecting the investigation in order to guarantee the bereaved family's right to know.

The countermeasures committee criticized that these promises were not kept in practice.

In particular, this claim was made in relation to the fact that on the 28th, the Pyeongtaek branch of the Gyeonggi Regional Employment and Labor Office approved the lifting of the work stoppage order for the Pyeongtaek factory.

Although it was determined that the imminent risk of a major disaster occurring had been eliminated, no relevant explanation was provided to the bereaved families.

Attorney at Dahye Park's Gorun Law Office pointed out, "The cause of the disaster, which cannot be told to the bereaved family because it is still under investigation or before indictment, is seen as a problem that has already been identified and easily resolved in the face of the employer's application to lift the work suspension."

He then criticized, “How long will we allow the bereaved families who lost their family members at work to postpone funerals, take to the streets, and suffer the misery of not even being able to mourn without even knowing the reason for the death?”

The countermeasures committee requested that the Ministry of Labor disclose the circumstances and causes of the accident identified to date, as well as data related to the lifting of the work suspension.