SEOUL, April 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial accident deaths hit a record low for the first quarter due to the government's efforts to reduce serious accidents, government data showed Tuesday.
The number of deaths caused by industrial accidents dived 17.5 percent from a year earlier to 113 in the January-March quarter, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
It marked the lowest for the first quarter since relevant data began to be compiled in 2022. The statistics excluded the cases where employers violated no laws.
The decrease was attributable to the positive effect of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which came into force in January 2022 to impose imprisonment or a fine on employers who failed to prevent grave accidents at workplaces.
The government of President Lee Jae Myung stepped up industrial site inspections from the outset to minimize occupational accidents.
The number of occupational fatalities in the construction industry tumbled 45.1 percent over the year to 39 in the first quarter, but the reading in the manufacturing industry soared 79.3 percent to 52.
The figure in other industries dropped 40.5 percent to 22 in the cited quarter. ■