When Falls Are Not Just Accidents: What Korea’s Construction Data Cannot See

The construction industry is one of Korea’s biggest employers, with around two million workers labouring in all weathers to improve living standards for all of us. Yet, this vital industry also carries one of the highest accident and fatality rates of any sector. Authorities divide construction site accident data between public and private projects. Although public projects slightly outnumber private ones, collectively, there were approximately 6,180 accidents reported in 2024. Of these, 3,082 occurred at public project sites, while 3,098 happened at private sites. This distinction offers little insight when attempting to identify underlying causes.

Investigating Fatalities in Construction

Having spent much of this year investigating suicides in the UK construction industry, which suffers an average of two workers per day to suicide, I was naturally drawn to the recently published Korean data. I make no suggestion that the fatal incidents on Korean construction sites are due to suicide. However, I do question why such a consideration is entirely absent from official publications.

The leading cause of death in Korean construction industry data is falls from height. Between 2020 and 2024, 622 such deaths were recorded. In the broader population, jumping from height is the second most common method of suicide, after hanging. Is it therefore implausible to ask whether suicide could be a factor within this industry? Perhaps the reason we do not know is not institutional failure, but the existence of a legal blind spot that appears to have gone unnoticed.

Investigative Gaps in Safety Protocols

When a fatal incident occurs on a construction site, the police will attend the scene. However, where there is no indication of criminal behaviour, primary responsibility shifts away from the police. The matter is then investigated by safety and accident prevention bodies. These organisations are staffed by highly skilled professionals, but their remit is limited to identifying hazards and accidents. This exposes an investigative gap, as suicide is classified neither as a crime nor as an accident.

We identified a similar structural issue in the UK, where the Health and Safety Executive recorded 35 falls-from-height deaths as “accidents” in 2024, potentially masking underlying suicide risks. In the same year, Korea’s construction sector recorded 106 fatal falls from height, prompting questions of whether similar blind spots may exist here.

At first glance, these two figures might suggest that the UK has substantially safer working conditions than Korea, a conclusion we must be cautious of. Indeed, they could suggest something else entirely. Jumping from height is among the most common suicide methods in South Korea, whereas in the UK, methods involving jumping or falls account for only a small minority of suicides, typically around 4–7%. This contrast surely warrants closer interrogation of Korean fall-related deaths and the assumptions used to classify them.

Regulatory Responses and Industry Insights

In response to the local accident data, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, through its “Roadmap to Zero” initiative, is now focusing particular attention on scaffolders, roofers, and others working at height. Interestingly, the UK investigation showed these very same trades carrying the highest relative suicide risk. Korean regulators clearly sense a problem within these occupations, even if suicide itself remains unacknowledged.

During the 2000–2024 period, Korean construction non-fatal falls from height accidents produced approximately 4,600 injuries. If investigations included the human dimension, could some of these incidents be understood as early warning signals of individuals in distress, allowing intervention before tragedy occurs?

The Impact of Isolation on Safety

Fatal falls appear to occur disproportionately at smaller construction sites, where fewer workers, lighter supervision, and fragmented task allocation increase the likelihood of individuals working alone. Research into suicide consistently shows that acts of self-harm tend to occur in isolation, away from interruption or onlookers. This does not imply intent in any individual case. However, when fatal falls occur in circumstances of solitude, it is reasonable to ask whether examining only equipment, compliance, and liability is sufficient. Should investigators also consider the human conditions of those who were working alone? Official construction safety statistics in Korea break down accidents by type, severity, and employer compliance but do not record whether incidents were witnessed or whether the worker was alone, rendering this human context invisible.

Understanding Vulnerabilities in the Workforce

A central question in my UK investigation was whether elevated suicide rates were driven by the industry itself or whether construction disproportionately attracts individuals with pre-existing vulnerabilities. Among the many factors examined, including substance misuse, irregular employment, financial insecurity, and mental illness, one condition repeatedly emerged in the background: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

ADHD is associated with elevated risks of impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, substance misuse, and suicide. It is also associated with strengths that align naturally with construction work: practical problem-solving, hands-on learning, tolerance for physical activity, and satisfaction from visible, task-based achievement. Construction may therefore offer not only employment but also structure and purpose for such challenged individuals.

This implication is neither diagnostic nor accusatory. Rather, it highlights a broader concern: when safety systems are designed only to identify hazards and assign liability after death, they will inevitably fail to notice psychological vulnerability before it becomes fatal. Falls from height may be the mechanism recorded in statistics, but the conditions that place certain individuals at heightened risk remain largely invisible and therefore unaddressed.

Conclusion: A Call for Comprehensive Investigations

As we continue to examine the data and the underlying causes of accidents in the construction industry, it is crucial to adopt a more holistic approach. We must consider not only the physical safety measures in place but also the psychological and emotional well-being of workers. By doing so, we can better understand the complexities of the construction environment and develop strategies that address both operational risks and human vulnerabilities.

The Korean version of this article appeared in the Maeil Shinbun Newspaper (print edition) on 25th December 2025. That Korean version can be read here: https://www.imaeil.com/page/view/2025121510001374006