Life Safety Basic Law Passes Parliamentary Committee After Six Years

'The Basic Law on Life Safety' has passed the National Assembly's Administration and Safety Committee after a six-year legislative delay. The bill legally guarantees the right of all citizens to be protected from risks of accidents, a right referred to as 'safety rights'.

This has been a consistent demand from civil society since the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014. Religious organizations, including the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), have joined forces with bereaved families and civil society, advocating for the law's enactment under the principle that 'life is a gift from God.' Choi Soon-ah, a survivor's family member from the Sewol disaster, noted that life and safety are central themes, aligning with Christian values. The Christian community emphasized that the sanctity of life is a core biblical tenet and pledged to lead the effort to build a society prioritizing life and safety.

On April 28, 2026, Rev. Park Seung-ryeol, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), visited the protest site of families of disaster victims. Rev. Park expressed hope that the Basic Law on Life Safety would not be twisted into a political tool and offered comfort to the bereaved families. He prayed for divine comfort for their pain and for the church to be transformed into an instrument of solace.

Once enacted, the Basic Law on Life Safety will establish a 'Committee for National Life Safety' directly under the President and a 'National Safety Accident Investigation Committee' under the Prime Minister. These committees will systematize the rights of victims of safety accidents, legally guaranteeing 13 rights including commemoration, mourning, and demands for prevention of recurrence. Furthermore, an entity will be established to objectively investigate the causes of major safety accidents.

Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties plan to give final approval to the bill during a plenary session on May 7, 2026.