The Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office on the 11th began an investigation to determine whether the Serious Accidents Punishment Act was violated in connection with the "Gwangju representative library collapse," which left four people dead or injured.
The labor office launched an investigation of construction officials to check for violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, among others. The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency also began looking into potential criminal charges, including professional negligence resulting in death or injury and illegal re-subcontracting.
The accident occurred at a public construction site. Depending on responsibility, officials of the ordering local government or public institution may also be subject to punishment. A police official said, "Not only those directly involved in construction, supervision, and design, but also officials of the ordering party are likely to be investigated depending on their roles and the scope of delegation."
Earlier at about 1:58 p.m. on the 11th, a steel structure collapsed at the Gwangju representative library construction site on the former Sangmu incineration plant site in Chipyeong-dong, Seo District, Gwangju.
Four Korean workers belonging to a subcontractor were buried under the structure in the accident. A, 47, who was rescued in cardiac arrest, was taken to a hospital but died. Of the remaining three, firefighters visually located one but found no signs of life. The locations of the other two have not yet been identified.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) immediately ordered a complete suspension of work at the site and dispatched officials including Ryu Hyun-chul, head of the ministry's Occupational Safety and Health Headquarters, to support the response. Minister Kim Young-hoon was to visit the scene after completing a presidential briefing on the 11th.