The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL, Minister Lee Jung-sik) and the Korea
Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA, President Ahn Jong-ju) have unveiled
a compilation showcasing a diverse array of impactful safety promotion practices
undertaken by 39 regional Safety Culture Implementation Teams (“Safety Teams”) in 2023.
In a strategic move aimed at substantially reducing serious accidents, the government
announced the Serious Accident Reduction Roadmap by the close of 2022 and has pivoted
from an approach anchored in regulations and punitive measures to a more proactive
self-regulatory preventive framework. A nationwide campaign to champion a practice
of safety in everyday life was launched in March 2023, recognizing that fostering selfregulatory
preventive programs hinges foremost on elevating public safety consciousness
and instilling a pervasive safety culture throughout society. This effort, facilitated by
collaborative endeavors among public and private entities, saw the establishment of
Safety Teams across 39 regions nationwide.
The compilation catalogues a rich tapestry of safety culture promotion initiatives led by
Safety Teams, targeting both the general public and industrial settings. Notable endeavors
include (1) corporate partnerships such as safety habit promotion initiatives utilizing
Emart shopping carts in Seoul, (2) safety culture campaigns interwoven with local
festivities such as the Chimac Festival (chicken with beer) in Daegu and Together Day
Festival (celebrating people worldwide) in Ansan, (3) collaborative safety culture television
campaigns with local media outlets in Gwangju, and (4) the production of concise safety
videos in Daejeon.
Interwoven throughout the compilation are illustrative interviews with key stakeholders
directly involved in these endeavors, offering firsthand insights into the initiatives. Ahn
Jeong-hoon, a division head at Emart, who played a pivotal role in embedding safety
messaging into paper bags and shopping carts, shared his resolve: “I am dedicated to
helping foster a society where safety becomes ingrained in everyday life through the
ripple effect of Safety Team activities.” Similarly, Heo Jeong-sik, Team Leader at Dongsuh
Foods, which integrated safety messaging into coffee mix packets popularly consumed
in workplaces, expressed optimism: “I trust that encountering safety messaging on our
products will naturally prompt individuals to consider safety more consciously.”
Ryu Kyung-hee, Head of the Occupational Safety and Health Office at the Ministry
of Employment and Labor, underscored the essence of a genuine culture of safety in
everyday life: “True safety is that which is embraced through personal initiative. In the
past year, Safety Teams concentrated their efforts on propagating a nationwide safety
culture, and this year, we will continue to disseminate practical safety messages centered
on workplace environments, actively supporting autonomous safety culture initiatives.”
The compilation of initiatives by the Safety Culture Implementation Team and additional
activities spearheaded by Safety Teams are accessible for viewing on the Kosha website
(www.kosha.or.kr/safety1team).