South Korea passed a law called the Serious Disasters Punishment Act last January. According to the bill, a severe injury or even death of an employee that was incurred during working hours could sanction higher-ups of the company they belong to. The regulation could fine the CEO and other managers of the worker and even send them to correctional facilities depending on the case.
It might be a good chance to protect the firm's workers, but the large adjustment in the business industry also led to a massive shift in the utilization of machines. According to a report by the Rest of the World, investments in robotic solutions in South Korea surged following the bill's passing.
South Korea's Industrial Businesses Purchasing More Robots Than Hiring Humans
KONYA, TURKEY - MARCH 15: An employee cleans around early test robot displays at the Akin Robotics factory on March 15, 2018, in Konya, Turkey. Akin Robotics is Turkey's first humanoid robotics factory and one of the first in the world to start mass production. The GH5 model and a new model, the ADA Mini, are programmed to work in shopping malls, airports, hospitals, and homes. The robots can speak, recognize faces, use the internet, and process what they see, hear, and smell. The ADA Mini will be deployed at Istanbul's new third airport to open later this year to assist people with check-in and airport information.
Kim Yong-rae, CEO of South Korea's largest capacitor developer Speefox, explained in an interview that history had taught us to look for the best approach to stay ahead consistently, and automation is exactly what we are looking for.
Yong-rae's daughter and Speefox's managing director Kim Hyo-jin said that the particular law is a huge issue in the business field of the country right now, but thanks to the previous improvements they worked on in their company, she knew they were ready even before the bill was passed.
The new rules regarding protecting human employees seemed to shake conglomerates in South Korea and pushed them to hire lesser manpower or even none.
Seoul National University of Science & Technology's occupational studies specialist Jung Jin-woo explained that the companies in the country are moving drastically to reduce human labor due to the law, but on the other hand, they also hesitate to embrace changes that risk a lot.
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Replacing Laborers with Robots
The law was intended for the safety and rights of laborers across South Korea. Despite the rules establishing grounds that would defend the health and lives of workers, many private groups, particularly those in the construction and manufacturing businesses, opposed the decision.
According to them, the bill criminalizes senior leaders with unfair practices and a set of rules that are 'vaguely worded,' which induces uncertainty for them and the resolve to avoid the situations included in the guidelines.
South Korea is one of the countries known to lack safety in many of its industrial facilities, Interesting Engineering reports. The country's status regarding the safety of laborers is somewhat bizarre since the country itself is known to have advanced techs.
South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor extends its assistance to companies still confused about the new regulations. The agency highlights that it is essential to focus on the safety and health management systems rather than prioritizing new robotic types of equipment that would replace humans.
The state is responsible for the protection of the lives of the working class and implementing rules to prevent industrial accidents from happening, they added.
Only time will tell if the Serious Disasters Punishment Act will be effective for South Korea and its working population or if it will be a huge step to replace human laborers with robots.
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Check out more news and information on Robotics in Science Times.
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