President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea would pursue a shift toward “sustainable growth where safety is fundamental” in his 2026 New Year address, elevating industrial safety to a core economic priority. Lee cited South Korea’s status as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development country with the highest rate of industrial accident fatalities, arguing that unsafe workplaces undermine long-term economic growth and corporate sustainability.

Lee said the government would increase the number of labor inspectors by 2,000 and establish new “workplace safety guardian” roles to strengthen oversight of industrial sites. He added that the cost of disregarding human life