Safety manager fined after advertising board falls on 4-year-old girl at hypermarket

A safety manager at a hypermarket has been fined after neglecting to act on a known hazard — a loosely secured advertising board on a moving walkway ceiling — that fell and injured a 4-year-old girl.

Judge Kim Hyun-suk of the Incheon District Court's Criminal Division 12 sentenced the safety manager, identified only as A, 29, to a fine of 1.5 million won ($993) on charges of negligent bodily injury on Thursday.

A was indicted on charges of failing to properly manage safety at a hypermarket in Seo-gu, Incheon, in August 2024, resulting in injuries to a 4-year-old girl, identified as B, who was riding the moving walkway.

An advertising board installed on the ceiling above the moving walkway fell and struck B on the back, leaving her with a thoracic sprain and other injuries. The board weighed 3 kilograms and measured 73 centimeters wide by 106 centimeters tall.

The board had been replaced by a worker from an advertising production company 10 days before the incident. An investigation found that the worker had forced the board into a frame whose locking mechanism was partially rusted shut, then finished the job without confirming whether it was properly secured.

A had been informed of the risk that the board could fall but failed to inspect or address the issue.

The court said it took into account that the defendant had admitted to the offense, but noted that while A had deposited 3 million won with the court for the victim, the victim's family had withheld acceptance and A had not been forgiven.