For the first time in the National Assembly, an industrial accident hearing was held with representatives of nine large corporations present as witnesses. Everyone lowered themselves and promised to prevent industrial accidents, but a representative was accused of making comments that seemed to blame workers for industrial accidents.
This is reporter Baek Woon.
<기자>
From the beginning of the hearing, it was POSCO Chairman Jeong-Woo Choi who tried to abstain from attending due to a pain in the back.
[김웅/국민의힘 의원 : 회장님, 허리는 좀 괜찮으십니까? 요추부 염좌상이나, 경추부 염좌상 같은 경우는 주로 보험 사기꾼들이 내는 건데….]
Chairman Choi had to bow his head several times.
[최정우/포스코 회장 : (산재 사망 노동자) 유족분들께 진심으로 사죄드립니다.]
Han Young-seok, CEO of Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, “We induce work by standard work, but there are many workers who act unsafely.”
[한영석/현대중공업 대표 : 사고가 일어나는 유형을 보니까 실질적으로 불안전한 상태하고 작업자의 행동에 의해서 많이 일어나더라고요.]
[장철민/민주당 의원 : 노동자의 불안전 행동 때문에 산재가 발생한다면 우리가 이런 걸(청문회) 왜 합니까?]
One of the representatives apologized, saying it was because of her lack of speaking skills.
The first ever National Assembly industrial accident hearing, the time given was short, and the lawmakers leaned on screaming.
[최정우/포스코 회장 : 제 생각이 짧았던 것 같습니다. 죄송합니다.]
[임이자/국민의힘 의원 : 생각이 짧은 게 아니고, 그게 회장님의 인성입니다.]
The representatives bowed their heads but did not accept legal responsibility, revealing their limitations.
Still, alternatives were also conspicuous, such as announcing that some companies would review ways to handle hazardous materials by employees at the headquarters rather than by partners.