A review of 25 major South Korean pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies revealed 117 recognized industrial accidents over the past five years. Machinery entanglements and falls accounted for the largest share of physical injuries, while the data also confirmed fatal cases linked to work-related mental illness.
According to materials submitted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to the office of Representative Jeong Hye-gyeong of the Progressive Party and obtained by Komedi.com on July 20, the Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service approved 117 occupational injury and illness claims between 2022 and the first quarter of 2026. The approved cases spanned 20 of the 25 leading pharma and biotech companies ranked by market capitalization and revenue.
An approved compensation claim indicates that the Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service officially recognized a direct connection between a worker’s job duties and their injury or illness. The figures reflect the year of claim approval rather than the year the incident occurred.
Caught-In Incidents and Falls Top Physical Injuries
A breakdown of incident reports by category showed that caught-in and entanglement accidents were the most frequent, totaling 24 cases. These involved workers getting limbs caught in rotating equipment, nip points, or between machinery during routine operations and materials handling.
Falls ranked second with 20 cases, primarily caused by slipping on wet floors or stairs and tripping over obstacles. Physical strain and lower back injuries accounted for 17 cases, while 13 incidents involved workers being struck by, colliding with, or crushed by objects.
Occupational mental health conditions were recognized in five cases across four companies. Notably, two of these five cases resulted in death, while three were classified as illness onset. Additionally, cerebrovascular diseases were recognized in three cases, and accidental lower back injuries accounted for another three.
Off-site traffic accidents while on duty were approved in nine cases, including one fatality. Seven industrial accidents occurred during company sports events or team workshops, and six involved chemical exposure or leaks.
Individual company names in the detailed claim breakdown were anonymized as Companies A through T. The Ministry of Employment and Labor noted that under the Statistics Act, official data cannot be publicly released in a format that identifies specific individuals or corporations.
Regulatory Inspections Lead to Corrections at 55 Facilities
Separate safety audit results revealed widespread regulatory enforcement across the industry. Between 2021 and the second quarter of 2026, labor inspectors audited 96 facility sites belonging to the 25 surveyed companies.
Inspectors issued corrective orders at 55 sites and imposed administrative fines at 20 sites.
HK inno.N recorded the highest number of corrective actions, with seven sites cited. Ildong Pharmaceutical and JW Pharmaceutical followed with five sites each, while GC Pharma, Boryung, Celltrion, Dongkook Pharmaceutical, and Hanmi Pharmaceutical each received corrective orders at four sites.
HK inno.N was also assessed administrative fines at two sites and was the only company surveyed to face judicial referral at one site. Labor officials emphasized that a judicial referral signifies the start of formal criminal proceedings and does not constitute a final finding of guilt.
The 25 firms evaluated in the survey include Samsung Biologics, Celltrion, Alteogen, Samsung Epis Holdings, SK Biopharmaceuticals, HLB, LigaChem Biosciences, ABL Bio, Samchundang Pharm, Yuhan Corp., GC Pharma, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, HK inno.N, Boryung, Dongkook Pharmaceutical, Dong-A ST, JW Pharmaceutical, Huons, Daewon Pharmaceutical, Jeil Pharmaceutical, Ildong Pharmaceutical, and Handok.
