Exclusive: 120 workplace accidents recorded at agency that handles workers' comp claims

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service — the government agency responsible for treating injured workers and helping them return to their jobs — recorded 120 workplace accidents among its own staff over the past four years, newly released data shows. Nearly seven in 10 were on-the-job accidents, not commuting incidents or occupational diseases.

The figures have prompted criticism that the agency, which bills itself as a lifeline for injured workers, has failed to adequately protect its own employees.

According to data submitted to Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Hae-cheol of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, 120 workplace accidents were recorded among agency staff from 2023 through June this year.

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service operates under the Ministry of Employment and Labor and is tasked with providing compensation, treatment and rehabilitation services to workers injured on the job and supporting their return to the workplace.

The annual figures rose for three consecutive years — from 30 cases in 2023 to 36 in 2024 and 40 last year. Fourteen more cases were recorded in just the first half of this year.

By type, on-the-job accidents accounted for 85 cases, or 70.8 percent of the total. Commuting accidents made up 24 cases, or 20.0 percent, while occupational diseases accounted for 11 cases, or 9.2 percent. The heavy concentration of accidents during actual work — as opposed to commutes or illness — has drawn calls for a comprehensive review of the agency's working conditions and internal safety management systems.

By facility, hospitals and care facilities operated by the agency recorded 61 cases, accounting for 50.8 percent of the total. Incheon Hospital and Suncheon Hospital each logged 11 cases, the highest among individual facilities, followed by Ansan Hospital with 10 and Taebaek Hospital with six.

By job category, administrative staff recorded the most cases at 31, followed by nurses at 19 and facility cleaners at 12. Accidents occurred across multiple organizations and occupations — including branch offices and regional headquarters as well as hospitals — leading observers to call on the agency to analyze risk factors by job type and develop targeted prevention measures.

"It is deeply contradictory that workplace accidents among staff at the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service — the very agency that handles such claims and helps workers return to their jobs — keep rising every year," Park said. "The agency must thoroughly analyze the causes and put in place effective prevention measures to create a safe working environment for its employees."