On 23rd, it was reported that the 30s motorcycle driver who died in the sinkhole accident that occurred in Myungil-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, in March, was deemed to be a workplace accident by the employment authorities.
An official from the Ministry of Employment said, “The deceased motorcycle driver was a Baemin Connector operated by Woowa Brothers,” and noted, “Even if they were returning home and not on duty, it still qualifies as a workplace accident.”
However, it is known that the bereaved family has not yet applied for the workplace accident compensation to the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service. Applications for workplace accident compensation must be submitted within three years from the date of the accident.
Earlier, the government implemented measures to ensure that workers, including delivery drivers, who suffer injuries at business sites can be covered by workplace accident insurance starting from July 2023. The regulation of 'exclusivity' for the coverage of workplace accident insurance for workers such as delivery drivers was abolished.
Exclusivity refers to the requirement that if one works at two or more places, they must earn more than 1.15 million won at one location or work more than 93 hours to qualify for workplace accident insurance coverage. This criterion has faced criticism, as there have been many cases where individuals have paid workplace accident insurance premiums but were not covered, leading to its eventual abolition.