ⓒYONHAP News

The head of Sampyo Industry became the first corporate head to face charges under a new law that holds management accountable for failing to prevent industrial accidents.

The labor ministry announced on Friday that it began raiding Sampyo Industry's headquarters in Seoul’s Jongno District at 9 a.m. as part of a probe into the collapse at one of its quarries in Yangju City, Gyeonggi Province that left three workers dead late last month. 

It also booked the firm's CEO Lee Jong-shin on charges of violating the Serious Accident Punishment Act(SAPA), becoming the first corporate chief to face a probe under the new law that went into effect on January 27. The quarry accident occurred on January 29.

SAPA holds business owners or CEOs responsible for the work-related deaths of their hires with a prison term of one year or more and a fine of up to one billion won. The corporations or institutions involved are also subject to a fine of up to five billion won.