Under the Act on the Punishment of Serious Accidents effective on January 26, 2022, in case of a serious accident involving a death or injuries, the CEO or the responsible manager is criminally liable, if not fulfilling the duties of ensuring safety. In June 2022, a group of lawmakers of the ruling party proposed a bill to revise the Act, aming to ease the severe penalties. With the bill, the penalties would be reduced or exempted if the CEO or responsible manager has taken safety measures and has the business or business site certified.
As vehicles fall under the category of manufactured product under the Act, any fatal vehicle accident due to a defect on a vehicle falls under a ‘serious civil accident,’ which can trigger not only an investigation on manufacturing defects but also a criminal punishment, at least 1-year in prison if violating the safety requirements.
