Related to July entrapment death at Pyeongtaek factory
Second forced investigation following Aug. 7 raid
Probe targets whether management fulfilled safety and health obligations
![The father of Kim Seung-mo, a young contract worker who died at HL Mando's Pyeongtaek factory, speaks at a press conference held by bereaved families in front of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office on Aug. 7, calling for disclosure of information on the serious accident investigation process and findings. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/14/rcv.YNA.20260907.PYH2026090713590001300_P1.jpg)
Labor authorities have launched a second search and seizure of HL Mando's headquarters and factory in connection with a fatal entrapment accident at its Pyeongtaek plant. The investigation centers on whether the company's management fulfilled its safety and health obligations under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
The Pyeongtaek branch of the Gyeonggi Regional Employment and Labor Office said Monday it was executing search and seizure warrants at HL Mando's headquarters in Pangyo, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and at its Pyeongtaek factory.
The raid is part of a forced investigation into the death of a worker who became trapped in machinery at the Pyeongtaek factory on July 22. It follows an initial search and seizure of the factory carried out on Aug. 7.
About 20 labor inspectors were deployed to seize evidence, including computers belonging to company officials. Investigators will use the materials to determine whether adequate safety measures were in place to prevent entrapment accidents.
Authorities plan to scrutinize in particular whether management had properly established a safety and health management system under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and whether it was actually being implemented on the factory floor. Investigators will also examine potential violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The Pyeongtaek branch formed a dedicated investigation team immediately after the accident to look into its cause and determine liability. Given the severity of recurring entrapment accidents in manufacturing, authorities said they intend to use forced investigative measures — including search and seizure — to establish whether any laws were broken.
"If violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act or the Serious Accidents Punishment Act are confirmed in the course of reviewing how safety and health obligations were carried out, we will take strict action," a Ministry of Employment and Labor official said.
The ministry said it will actively pursue forced investigative measures — including search and seizure and detention — against workplaces where fatal accidents occur or where the same type of accident recurs due to failure to observe basic safety rules.
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