Compensation Judgment of 530 Million Won for the Bereaved Family of a Middle School Student Who Died in a Futsal Goalpost Accident
In relation to the incident in which a middle school student died after a goalpost fell at a futsal ground managed by a local government in Busan in 2019, the local government has been ordered to compensate the bereaved family with approximately 530 million won.
According to the legal community on the 16th, the Civil Division 1 of the Eastern Branch of the Busan District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jae-chan) ruled in favor of the bereaved family of the deceased middle school student A, stating, “The district office should pay 530 million won.”
In July 2019, A, who was 13 years old at the time, was playing soccer with 18 friends at a futsal ground in the Banyeo-dong area of Haeundae-gu, Busan, while taking on the role of goalkeeper. When A hung onto the goalpost, it, which had not been properly secured, fell over and struck A on the head severely. A was urgently transported to a nearby hospital but ultimately died during treatment.
The police investigation revealed that at the time of the accident, the goalpost at the futsal ground was not properly secured to the ground. This was deemed a direct result of the Haeundae District's negligence in management.
Court Rules "Negligence in Safety Management by Local Government"
In the judgment, the court stated, “Considering the progress of the incident and Haeundae District regulations, there appears to be management defects recognized and a failure to fulfill the obligation to take protective measures.” This recognized the incompetence of the local government in safely managing public facilities.
This ruling is significant as it clarifies that the responsibility for safety management of public sports facilities lies with the local governments that manage them. Particularly for sports facilities frequently used by children and adolescents, it indicates that more thorough safety inspections and management are required.
In recent years, similar safety accidents have occurred across public sports facilities nationwide, raising awareness regarding safety management of facilities.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has been conducting special safety inspections of public sports facilities nationwide since 2020 and has strengthened guidelines to regularly check the securing condition of movable sports facilities, such as goalposts.
In light of this incident, there are growing calls for local governments to conduct more thorough safety inspections of the sports facilities under their management and to reinforce safety management systems by regularly checking the securing status of movable sports facilities.
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