President Lee appoints 1st physician to head Korea’s industrial safety agency

Dr. Ryu Hyun-cheol, chairman of the Center for Working Environment Health, has been appointed as the inaugural head of the Ministry of Employment and Labor's newly elevated Occupational Safety and Health Office.

This marks the first time a medical professional has led Korea’s industrial safety and health administration, signaling the Lee Jae Myung administration's commitment to preventing industrial accidents.

At his inauguration ceremony held at the Government Complex Sejong on Tuesday, Director Ryu stated, “When workers are endangered, companies must also face consequences,” adding, “We must move toward a society where investment in safety directly translates into corporate competitiveness. The safety, health, and dignity of working people must be our top priority.”

Ryu pointed out that Korean society places great emphasis on assigning blame for accidents and disasters but lacks encouragement for those who strive for safety. He said this is because laws and systems have failed to adequately address the structural causes of industrial accidents.

“The concept of risk for workers and companies can differ in context. For workers, risk means damage to physical and mental integrity, while for companies, risk means potential profit loss from delays or interruptions in the production process,” Ryu said.

He continued, “This is not a matter of right or wrong, but a fundamental difference in perspective. The problem is the widening gap between the risks faced by workers and companies.”

Without social intervention, this gap will not narrow. If safety and health supervision and administration fail to bridge this gap, powerless workers will become even more vulnerable, Ryu added.

“Therefore, I hope the Occupational Safety and Health Office will symbolize an exclusive advocacy body for workers' right to safety and health.”

Director Ryu graduated from Hanyang University College of Medicine and earned a master’s degree in Environmental Health from the Graduate School of Public Health at Seoul National University. As a specialist in occupational and environmental medicine, he has played a leading role in creating policies to improve hazardous workplace conditions, driving prevention campaigns for occupational diseases, and advancing workers' health rights through influential research and on-site initiatives over the past 20 years.

He has served as Head of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Green Hospital, Director of the Korea Institute of Labor Safety and Health, Deputy Director of the Gyeongnam Workers' Health Center, President of the Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Chairman of the Center for Working Environment Health.

The Lee Jae Myung administration has high expectations for Director Ryu.

“As the former director of the Korea Institute of Labor Safety and Health and chairman of the Center for Working Environment Health, Ryu possesses a deep understanding of the field and a well-rounded combination of theory and practical experience,” Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong said on Monday. “He is the right person to realize President Lee's determination to eradicate fatal industrial accidents.”

During his tenure at Ansan Hospital of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, Ryu won the Grand Prize at the 18th Hanmi Essay Literary Awards for his essay “It’s Not Your Fault,” which addressed the suffering of industrial accident victims and societal responsibility. His essay raised public awareness of victim support and shaped public discussion on industrial safety reforms. He has consistently advocated for a shift in industrial safety focus from punishment to prevention.