Hyundai Motor has received 40 judicial actions from the Ministry of Employment and Labor through a special labor inspection related to the death of three researchers at its Ulsan plant last year. This is the second highest number of judicial actions among 17 corporations that were subjected to special labor inspections for violations of serious accident laws last year. The Ministry of Employment and Labor disclosed the results of the special labor inspection on Hyundai Motor on the 11th.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor conducts special labor inspections on business sites where two or more deaths occur simultaneously, or where three or more deaths have occurred in the past year. Business sites found to have violated serious accident laws or the Occupational Safety and Health Act will face judicial actions or fines. Judicial actions include pre-investigation, criminal charges, investigations, and referral to the prosecution.
Earlier, the Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted a special labor inspection at the Hyundai Motor headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, as well as at the Namyang Research Institute in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, and the Ulsan plant from Nov. 25 to Dec. 19 last year. This was in response to the incident on Nov. 19 last year, where three researchers died in a vehicle testing space (chamber) in the Electrification Quality Division at the Ulsan plant.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Employment and Labor judged that Hyundai Motor violated 40 legal provisions and issued judicial actions. This is the second most judicial actions received in last year's special labor inspection after Hanwha Ocean, which received the most with 46 actions. Additionally, the ministry imposed fines of 545.28 million won on Hyundai Motor.
Choi Tae-ho, director of industrial safety and health policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, noted regarding the judicial actions against Hyundai Motor, "We are in consultation with the prosecution," adding, "(Regarding whether to refer the case, specifics have) not yet been decided."