SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial accident deaths fell in the first half of 2025 thanks to tougher punishment for serious accidents, government data showed Thursday.

The number of deaths caused by industrial accidents came in at 287 in the January-June period, down 3.0 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

The decrease was attributable to the positive effect of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which came into force in January 2022 to impose imprisonment or fine on employers who fail to prevent grave accidents at workplaces.

The figure was expected to fall further in the second half as the new government of President Lee Jae-myung vowed to make all-out efforts for a sharp reduction in industrial accidents.

The number of industrial accident deaths in the construction industry advanced 6.2 percent over the year to 138 in the first half, but the reading in the manufacturing industry tumbled 29.5 percent to 67.

The reading in other industries rose 15.5 percent to 82 in the cited period.

The number of deaths at workplaces with fewer than 50 full-time workers gained 13.5 percent to 176, but the figure for workplaces with more than 50 full-time employees reduced 21.3 percent to 111. ■