English names and summaries of Korean laws are unofficial translations. The Korean text on the Korean Law Information Center (law.go.kr) prevails.
Fatal Accidents in Korea by Year (subject to MOEL investigation)
Key terms in Korean and English
- serious accident (중대재해, OSH Act)
- suspended sentence (집행유예)
- fall from height (떨어짐)
- struck by object (물체에 맞음)
- collapse (무너짐)
- caught in or between (끼임)
- electric shock (감전)
- fire (화재)
- drowning (빠짐·익사)
The pictured chart is schematic and does not represent data.
1. Overview
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (provisional) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 644 (611) | 598 (584) | 589 (553) | 605 (573) |
| Construction | 341 (328) | 303 (297) | 276 (272) | 286 (267) |
| Manufacturing | 171 (163) | 170 (165) | 175 (146) | 158 (150) |
| Other industries | 132 (120) | 125 (122) | 138 (135) | 161 (156) |
| Under 50 | 388 (381) | 354 (345) | 339 (333) | 351 (344) |
| 50 or more | 256 (230) | 244 (239) | 250 (220) | 254 (229) |
2025: MOEL press release (2026-03-31, provisional) · figures preceding white-paper publication
2. Fatalities by accident type (top five and other)
| Rank | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (provisional) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall from height 268 (262) | Fall from height 251 (249) | Fall from height 227 (227) | Fall from height 249 (248) |
| 2 | Caught in or between 90 (90) | Struck against / collision 79 (79) | Struck by object 83 (83) | Struck by object 72 (72) |
| 3 | Struck against / collision 63 (63) | Struck by object 67 (67) | Caught in or between 66 (66) | Struck against / collision 62 (61) |
| 4 | Struck by object 49 (48) | Caught in or between 54 (54) | Struck against / collision 50 (50) | Caught in or between 50 (50) |
| 5 | Crushed under / overturning 44 (44) | Crushed under / overturning 43 (43) | Crushed under / overturning 46 (43) | Crushed under / overturning 39 (39) |
| Other | 130 (104) | 104 (92) | 117 (84) | 133 (103) |
2025: MOEL press release (2026-03-31, provisional) · figures preceding white-paper publication
"Other" includes collapse, fire, explosion, drowning, electric shock, asphyxiation and poisoning.
Sum of fire/explosion 31 (25) and other 102 (78) in the release
3. Top provinces by fatalities
| Rank | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (provisional) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gyeonggi 192 (183) | Gyeonggi 153 (150) | Gyeonggi 184 (162) | Gyeonggi 126 (122) |
| 2 | South Chungcheong 59 (55) | North Gyeongsang 57 (56) | South Gyeongsang 52 (49) | North Gyeongsang 73 (69) |
| 3 | South Gyeongsang 57 (56) | South Gyeongsang 48 (46) | Seoul 46 (44) | South Gyeongsang 58 (55) |
| 4 | North Gyeongsang 42 (42) | South Chungcheong 45 (42) | North Gyeongsang 39 (38) | Seoul 48 (47) |
| 5 | Seoul 38 (38) | Seoul 42 (42) | South Jeolla 38 (37) | South Jeolla 41 (38) |
2025: MOEL press release (2026-03-31, provisional) · figures preceding white-paper publication
4. Key points
Falls from height were the leading cause of death in 2022–2024 and in the provisional 2025 figures (41.6% in 2022, 38.5% in 2024 and 41.2% in 2025).
Workplaces with fewer than 50 workers (construction projects under KRW 5 billion) accounted for more than half of the fatalities every year: 388 in 2022, 354 in 2023 and 339 in 2024.
From 2022 to 2024, construction fatalities fell from 341 to 303 to 276; manufacturing stayed in the 170s.
In 2024, manufacturing recorded more fatalities (175) than accidents (146); the year includes a single fire that killed 23 workers.
According to MOEL’s provisional 2025 release, fatalities rose by 16 (2.7%) from the previous year to 605 (573 accidents). Construction accounted for 286 fatalities, manufacturing 158 and other industries 161.
5. SAPA court rulings (2025 edition, as of end-September 2025)
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| First-instance or higher judgments | 71 (39 final, 32 ongoing) |
| Guilty / not guilty | 65 (91.5%) / 6 (8.5%) |
| Prison / suspended sentence / criminal fine (guilty cases) | 7 / 55 / 3 |
| Most frequently found breaches (overlapping) | Decree Art. 4 sub. 3 — 61 (85.9%); sub. 5 — 53 (74.6%); sub. 7 — 23 (32.3%) |
Sources: MOEL and KOSHA’s Serious Accident White Paper, 2023 edition, Appendix 2 (pp. 347–361); 2024 edition, Appendix 1 (pp. 354–366); and 2025 edition, Appendices 2 and 1. Field Safety Briefing compiled the tables from the factual figures.
Cases in this section
This section contains 31 accident records and 1 non-accident improvement case.
How to read the annual figures
Start by checking the population and reporting cutoff for each annual table. The Ministry of Employment and Labor’s figures cover fatalities in accidents subject to investigation under defined criteria. Compare industries only when the classification and coverage are consistent. Record the source title, release date and reporting cutoff for each row when the source provides them.
The incident year and publication year can differ. Check whether each row is organized by incident date and what period it covers. A year-end provisional release and a later revision can give different figures for the same year. Check the publication date and revision status before comparing them. Treat blank or unverified entries as missing. If a value changes, record both values and cite the release or correction.
The case list below the table is for examining individual hazards and working conditions. Read the statistical population separately from the cases covered on this site. Use the annual table to find the source release and the case list to find public articles for that year. An article’s posting or modification date reflects its publication history. Use the investigation material and incident date when checking the underlying case.