Public officials' and fishing vessel crew accident compensation
Hurt on official duty or injured while fishing? Talk to us about public officials' and fishing vessel crew accident compensation.
Public officials and fishing vessel crew members fall under different laws and procedures than the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance that covers regular employees. Tell us whether you're a public official or a crew member and what work you were doing when you got hurt or became ill, so we can advise you.
What is public officials' and fishing vessel crew accident compensation?
Public officials' accident compensation is paid under the Public Officials Accident Compensation Act and related laws when an injury, illness, disability, or death results from performing official duties. It's commonly called "gongsang," and you file by choosing the benefits you're applying for, such as official-duty medical care. Fishing vessel crew accident compensation insurance is a program run by the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (Suhyup) under the Act on Accident Compensation Insurance for Fishing Vessel Crew Members and Fishing Vessels. Not everyone who works on a boat is covered by the same law, so we confirm which agency to file with and which benefits apply based on your status and employment relationship.
Which program applies to you
Public officials, public-sector employees, and fishing vessel crew members follow different claim procedures.
Public officials
We confirm your appointment status and which program applies. Benefits to claim · Official-duty medical care, disability benefits, survivors' benefits, and more
Employees of public agencies and local governments
If you weren't appointed as a public official and work under an employment contract, regular Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance applies, so your case follows the standard workers' comp claim process. Documents to check · Your employment contract and your actual working relationship
Fishing vessel crew
We confirm your boarding and employment relationship, the type of vessel, and its insurance coverage. Applicable program · We identify the right program under fishing vessel crew insurance, the Seafarers' Act, and other laws
Types of public official accidents
We claim compensation for on-duty accidents, illness, disability, and line-of-duty death.
On-duty accidents and commuting accidents
We look at how the accident happened while you were performing official duties, such as a dispatch, training, or a business trip. Commuting accidents are judged under that program's own standards, including the route and purpose of travel.
Overwork, occupational disease, and mental illness
We look at your actual on-call and shift work, rest time, repetitive tasks, exposure to hazardous substances, and traumatic incidents. If your work schedule doesn't match the work you actually did, that needs to be explained too.
Presumption of official-duty illness
We check whether you meet the legal requirements for exposure to hazardous or high-risk factors and for the illness itself. Your job title or diagnosis alone doesn't trigger it automatically.
Disability, line-of-duty death, and hazardous-duty death
We look at how your official duties relate to the disability or death. A line-of-duty death and a hazardous-duty line-of-duty death have different requirements and benefits. We investigate the duties performed and how the death happened to determine which one applies.
Types of fishing vessel crew accidents
We file claims for accidents and illness at sea under fishing vessel crew insurance standards.
Accidents while fishing, boarding or leaving the vessel, or working on board
We look at your assigned duties, work instructions, and how the accident happened. If the accident report doesn't match the facts, we explain the difference using navigation and fishing records, coworker statements, and other evidence.
Illness caused by your duties
We look at repetitive physical labor, long fishing hours, exposure to hazardous factors, and your diagnosis and treatment history.
Non-duty accidents while serving on board
Certain injuries and illnesses not caused by your duties are also covered. These come with limits on scope, exclusions, and benefit caps, so they aren't compensated the same way as duty-related accidents.
Medical care, injury and disease, disability, and survivors' benefits
We claim the benefits that match your treatment, time off work, disability, or death. These are calculated under fishing vessel crew insurance standards, not the average wage and payment rates used in regular Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance.
Sobaek's practice areas
We tell you what documents you need to file and how to appeal a denial.
- STEP 01
Confirm the program and the benefits to claim
We confirm your status while working or on board and which laws and insurance apply, then walk you through the filing process.
- STEP 02
Prove the link between your work and the accident
We prepare and submit claim documents that explain how the accident happened and its work-relatedness, using work schedules, dispatch records, fishing records, and diagnoses and test results. We also respond to the agency's investigation. What we can handle as your representative depends on each law, and we'll explain the exact scope during your consultation.
- STEP 03
Respond to a denial or benefit decision
We review the reasons for the decision and the date you were notified, then explain the appeal process and deadline for that program. If you need representation in a lawsuit, we refer the case to an attorney under a separate engagement, with your consent.
What to bring to your consultation • Documents showing your status and working relationship, such as your appointment, employment contract, or boarding records • Work schedules, dispatch logs, and navigation and fishing records • Accident reports, medical certificates and test results, or records related to the death • Any prior benefit decision and the date you were notified
Frequently asked questions
Find answers to your questions before a consultation.
If I work at a district office or public agency, do I file for public officials' accident compensation?
Not necessarily. The program that applies can depend on whether you were appointed as a public official or work as an employee under an employment contract.
Do night and shift work, or traumatic incidents on the scene, count for firefighters and police officers?
Yes, they matter when deciding whether your actual workload is linked to your illness. We look closely at whether you could rest while on call, how many times you were dispatched, the nature of the incidents, and your treatment history.
What if the accident or work record written by my agency isn't accurate?
Point out what's wrong, and gather evidence of the work you actually did, such as work logs, dispatch records, messages, and coworker statements.
The boat owner says they didn't buy insurance. Does that mean I can't get compensation?
First, we need to confirm whether the vessel is one that's required to carry insurance and what the actual insurance relationship is. If coverage is mandatory, you don't lose compensation just because the owner failed to report enrollment.
What if I got hurt or sick while resting on the boat?
We have to determine whether it's a duty-related accident or falls under the rules for non-duty accidents while serving on board. The benefits and coverage that apply can differ depending on where and how it happened and when the illness started.
Do crew members on boats other than fishing vessels file the same way?
Depending on the type of vessel and the employment relationship, a different program, such as the Seafarers' Act, may apply. We first need to confirm the applicable program using records on the vessel and your boarding and employment contracts.
If my claim is denied, do I file a request for review and a request for reconsideration like regular workers' comp?
If the Government Employees Pension Service denies a public official's claim for a duty-related injury or illness, the official can challenge the decision before the Public Officials Accident Compensation and Pension Committee within 90 days of the decision. Unlike general workers' compensation insurance, there is no further reconsideration stage. Fishing vessel crew members can challenge denied benefits by requesting a review from the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives and reconsideration from the Fishing Vessel Crew Accident Compensation Insurance Review Committee of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
Request a consultation on a workers' comp or labor case
Get advice on public officials' and fishing vessel crew accident compensation.
Tell us about your status, your working relationship, and how the accident happened. We'll advise you based on the work records, diagnoses, and test results you have.
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