Following a two-year grace period, the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (SAPA) came into effect on Saturday for smaller businesses. This regulation applies to companies with fewer than 50 employees, encompassing 837,000 firms and impacting approximately 8 million employees nationwide.

In the event of major on-the-job accidents including deaths, these smaller estalishments can face penalties including a minimum sentence of one year in prison or fines of up to 1 billion won ($749,000), provided they did not have the necessary health and safety measures in place. It's noteworthy that smaller firms were initially exempt from the act when it was initially applied to larger companies in 2022.

The labor sector welcomed the broadening of the law, as workplace fatalities continue to be reported. The smaller businessess associations and the government have expressed deep regret, saying the law could lead to business closures and the firing of employees. Reports found that some restaurants or bakeries were not even........

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