The Star, Saturday 29, 2009 reported about an employee that fell down and died after drinking sessions with his boss. A South Korean court has ruled that he was a victim of an industrial accident. The court order from Seoul High Court overturned an earlier lower court ruling. As a result of the new ruling, the relatives of the deceased can claim their entitlement from a state fund. The deceased Chung's relatives filed a suit against the state fund after it refused to recognize his death as an industrial accident. Chung kicked the bucket in 2007 after falling down steps on his way home from drinking sessions arranged by his boss. During the session, Chung drank more than 12 "bombshells" in two sessions. Bombshell is a concoction of a Korean spirit called soju with beer. According to Chung's relatives, the amount taken by Chung exceeded his normal ability to consume the concoction. He was already reeling before joining in the second session.
It is a Korean workplace culture where an employee will feel obliged to join in after work drinking sessions due to the invitation by a boss.
Seoul High Court stated that Chung's death is tantamount to a workplace death. Excessive drinks from the company drinking sessions caused him not to be able to show normal behaviour and sound judgement. This resulted in the accident.
