Jeong Hee-min, CEO of POSCO E&C, expressed his intention to resign in the afternoon of the 5th, taking responsibility for repeated serious accidents.
The CEO stated through a statement regarding the recent recurrence of fatal accidents, "As the CEO responsible for POSCO E&C, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility for the repeated accidents," adding, "I will take full responsibility and step down."
At POSCO E&C construction sites, as many as four fatalities occurred this year alone. Specifically, there were ▲a fall accident at the Gimhae apartment construction site in January ▲a collapse at the Gwangmyeong Shinansan Line construction site in April ▲a fall at the Daegu mixed-use development site in April ▲and a fatal accident during construction of the Uiryeong Expressway in June, resulting in four fatalities from industrial accidents this year.
President Lee Jae-myung condemned this, saying at a Cabinet meeting on the 29th of last month that "the recurrence of accidents in the same manner constitutes murder by implicit intent."
President Lee said, "Corporations that repeatedly experience industrial accidents should be required to disclose several times, which would cause the company's stock price to plummet."
POSCO E&C announced on the 29th of last month that it would fully suspend operations at 103 construction sites nationwide and resume construction after safety inspections, but another accident occurred just six days later.
The day before, a 30-year-old worker from Myanmar became unconscious, possibly due to electrocution, at a highway construction site managed by POSCO E&C. The worker's breathing has reportedly returned, but consciousness has not yet returned.
The CEO said, "Despite promising a complete suspension of work and thorough safety inspections, I deeply apologize to the public for the occurrence of another incident at the Gwangmyeong-Seoul Expressway construction site."
He continued, "POSCO E&C views this incident not merely as a failure of safety management but as a serious warning demanding a profound reflection and fundamental reform of the overall company management," adding, "I genuinely hope this will serve as a starting point for transformative innovation with the understanding that the company's value lies in safety."
The CEO said, "I hope POSCO E&C will restore public trust and achieve sustainable growth through the establishment of a field-centered voluntary safety culture, in which all employees and partner companies participate, and a groundbreaking transition of safety systems that prioritizes safety as the foremost corporate value."
He added, "Once again, I express my deep condolences to the departed who tragically lost their lives and sincerely offer my condolences to the bereaved families and the injured."