Busan painting company CEO sentenced after worker's fatal fall

A Busan District Court has sentenced the CEO of a painting company to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years, following the death of a worker. The incident occurred on September 5, 2024, at an apartment complex in Gijang-gun, Busan, where a worker in his 50s fell 11 meters from an aerial work platform.

Investigations revealed that the safety railings on the work platform had been removed to increase workspace and reduce labor costs. Additionally, the worker was not wearing a safety helmet or a safety harness at the time of the accident. The court rejected the company's claims that the accident was the fault of the worker and the operator, noting that the CEO was aware of the dangerous working conditions through shared photos in a group chat.

This marks the third fatal fall at this company. Previous accidents occurred in 2010 and 2022 under the leadership of the current CEO's father. The company itself was fined 100 million won, while the site manager and foreman received individual fines of 7 million won.