MOEL raids PSY’s agency after death of construction worker

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MOEL raids PSY’s agency after death of construction worker

Published: 25 Aug. 2022, 17:16

PSY's agency P Nation was raided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Thursday in relation to the death of a construction worker who fell while dismantling the stage of the singer's "Summer Swag 2022" concert. [YONHAP]

The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) raided PSY’s agency P Nation as part of its investigation into the death of a construction worker who fell while dismantling the set of the singer’s concert “Summer Swag 2022.”

The Mongolian man in his 20s was working under an outsourcing agency hired to construct stages. Around 3:53 p.m. on July 31, he fell 15 meters (49 feet) while taking down a lighting tower at the Gangneung Stadium in Gangneung, Gangwon, where PSY's "Summer Swag 2022" had taken place the day before. He was moved to a local hospital but later died.

According to local media reports, the Gangwon Office of MOEL raided P Nation’s building in Gangnam District, southern Seoul from 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

After the man’s death, P Nation released a statement expressing its condolences.

"We express our sincerest condolences to the worker who passed away after a sudden accident," P Nation said in its statement. "We also send our deepest condolences to the surviving family,” it added saying that it will do its best to establish measures to prevent another accident.

“We are looking into the matter to check the contract between the agency and the outsourcing company which constructed the stage structures, and to confirm whether they followed safety measures,” the Gangwon Office said.

This is not the first time PSY’s summer concert has been at the center of controversy. The singer's water concerts were criticized as being wasteful and a risk for the spread of Covid-19.

Yeosu City also demanded repairs be carried out after part of Jinnam Stadium in the city was damaged after PSY's concert on Aug. 6.

PSY’s “Summer Swag 2022” tour started off in Incheon on July 9, and had stops in Seoul, Suwon, Gangneung, Yeosu, Daegu before wrapping up in Busan on Aug. 20.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]