Depression and adjustment disorders are the most common work-related illnesses among South Korean government employees. (Image courtesy of Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Jun. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – Depression and adjustment disorders are the most common work-related illnesses among South Korean government employees, according to a recent report by the Ministry of Personnel Management.
The study, released on June 21, analyzed approved cases of work-related injuries and illnesses among civil servants in 2022. Mental health issues topped the list with 274 cases, followed by musculoskeletal disorders (226 cases) and cardiovascular diseases (111 cases).
The findings paint a concerning picture of the mental health landscape in South Korea’s public sector. When comparing the rate of mental health-related leave per 10,000 employees, civil servants had a rate of 2.14%, which is 11 times higher than the 0.19% rate observed in the private sector for industrial accidents.
The disparity extends beyond mental health issues. Government workers were also 3.6 times more likely to take leave due to cardiovascular diseases compared to their private sector counterparts.
Officials at the Ministry of Personnel Management attribute these elevated rates to several factors. “High levels of job-related stress due to legal responsibilities and excessive workloads, an increase in malicious complaints from the public, rigid organizational cultures, and workplace bullying all contribute to these trends,” a ministry spokesperson said.
Recognizing the severity of the situation, the government is shifting its approach from post-incident compensation to preventive measures. “We are implementing a comprehensive, government-wide plan to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses among civil servants,” the ministry stated.
Kim Jung-yeon, the Director of Injury Compensation Policy at the ministry, emphasized the importance of addressing these issues. “Based on the objective data from our civil servant injury compensation statistics, we are committed to developing practical health and safety measures for the vulnerable areas identified in our study,” Kim said.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
