[1] The method of determining whether there exists a proximate causal relationship between work and death in the event that an employee committed suicide due to depression from stressed stress during the course of performing his/her duties

[2] The case denying proximate causal relation between work and death on the ground that the depression of a worker who committed suicide was caused by excessive occupational stress to the extent that it is difficult to overcome as an average worker, and further, it is difficult to presume that the depression was caused by the mental disorder or mental disorder, or by the depression that it was difficult to presume that the mental disorder significantly affected the normal perception or ability to choose action, or mental suppression was caused by the mental disorder significantly affected by the mental disorder

[1] Article 4 subparagraph 1 (see current Article 5 subparagraph 1) of the former Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (amended by Act No. 8373 of Apr. 11, 2007) / [2] Article 4 subparagraph 1 (see current Article 5 subparagraph 1) of the former Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (amended by Act No. 8373 of Apr. 11, 2007)

[1] Supreme Court Decision 93Nu9392 delivered on December 14, 1993 (Gong1994Sang, 377) Supreme Court Decision 99Du331 delivered on June 8, 199 (Gong199Ha, 1423)

Plaintiff (Attorney Jae-chul et al., Counsel for plaintiff-appellant)

Korea Labor Welfare Corporation

Seoul High Court Decision 2005Nu29787 delivered on December 21, 2006

The judgment below is reversed and the case is remanded to Seoul High Court.

The grounds of appeal are examined.

The term “occupational accident” under Article 4 subparag. 1 of the former Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (amended by Act No. 8373 of Apr. 11, 2007) refers to an injury, disease, physical disability, or death of an employee who was caused by his/her duties during the performance of his/her duties. As such, there is a causal relationship between his/her duties and disaster. The causal relationship between his/her duties and the accident should be proved by the assertion of such causal relationship. The existence of such causal relationship should not be necessarily determined by the existence of proximate causal relationship from a normative point of view, rather than by medical and natural science. As such, the occurrence of a disease or occupational stress or stress overlaps with the main cause of the disease, and it can be presumed that there was a proximate causal causal relationship between his/her duties and death in light of the situation of suicide or mental disorder, or the ability to choose a suicide, or the ability to prevent mental disorder, and there is no reason or temporary stress on the part of an employee who was caused by his/her own mental stress, and thus, there is no reasonable causal causal relationship between his/her duties and death.

Examining the reasoning of the judgment below in light of the above legal principles, in this case where the deceased non-party (the deceased non-party, 1961, hereinafter referred to as the "the deceased"), who is the husband of the plaintiff (the deceased, hereinafter referred to as the "the deceased"), was drinking away agrochemicals around the workplace of Korea Electric Power Corporation on March 23, 2004 while working for Korea Electric Power Corporation, and committed suicide, the court below determined that "the deceased's death constitutes an occupational accident, since there is a proximate causal relation between the deceased's death, and even if the deceased's result in suicide or contributed to negative nature, as long as the depression caused by stress appears to be an essential cause of suicide, it cannot be viewed otherwise."

원심이 인용한 제1심판결 이유에 따르면, 망인은 1981. 7. 한국전력공사에 입사하여 여주변전소 등에서 송·변전 업무를 담당하던 중 2003. 4. 1. 동서울전력소 소속 이천순회점검팀 팀장으로 발령받아 근무한 사실, 이천순회점검팀에서는 망인을 포함한 5명의 직원이 이천, 여주, 감곡 변전소의 정비업무를 담당하다가 2003. 12. 율현 변전소가 신설되자 이를 함께 관리하였으며 2004. 2.에는 직원이 1명 줄어든 사실, 동서울전력소에는 이천순회점검팀 외에 성현순회점검팀과 잠실순회점검팀이 있는데, 성현순회점검팀은 5개의 변전소를, 잠실순회점검팀은 4개의 변전소를 관리하고 있는 사실, 망인은 팀장으로서 09:00부터 18:00까지 주간근무를 하였고 토요일은 격주로 휴무하되 근무일에는 09:00부터 13:00까지 근무하였으나, 근무시간 이외에도 직원들과 순번으로 자택대기근무를 하였으며 대기시간이 아니더라도 사고 대비를 위하여 주로 관내에 머무른 사실, 망인은 팀장으로서 업무경험이 부족한 상태에서 팀장을 맡아 부담이 많았고 전력사고 발생에 대한 걱정이나 다른 팀과의 비교 등으로 스트레스를 받기도 한 사실, 망인은 2003. 10.과 2004. 4. 있었던 5직급 과장승진에서 누락되어 6직급 대리로 계속 팀장을 맡았으며, 한국전력공사 내에서 6직급 대리로 팀장을 맡고 있는 사람은 15명에 이르는 사실, 5직급 승진은 근속연수와 인사고과에 의하여 이루어지는데 망인과 입사동기이거나 입사선배이면서 과장으로 승진을 못 하여 망인처럼 6직급 대리직에 있는 직원은 없고 이로 인하여 망인이 스트레스를 받은 사실, 2003. 7. 11. 남서울전력관리처장의 이천순회점검팀 방문을 앞두고 설비현황 등에 관한 브리핑을 준비하던 망인이 변전소를 순시한다며 나가버리는 바람에 브리핑이 생략되는 일이 발생하였고, 이 때문에 망인은 동서울전력소의 상급자로부터 질책을 받은 후 상당기간 우울한 상태에 있었던 사실, 또 망인은 팀원들의 비협조로 업무에 있어 상당한 어려움을 겪었는바, 예컨대 망인이 변전소 내 제초작업을 하자고 하여도 팀원들이 자신의 업무가 아니라며 거부하여 망인 혼자서 제초작업을 하기도 한 사실, 망인은 팀장으로 발령받은 이후 점차 회사 내의 동호회활동을 하지 않는 등 동료와 어울리지 아니하였고, 식사량이 줄어들고 불면증을 호소하였으며, 2004. 초 금연을 하였다가 2004. 2.경부터 다시 피우기도 하였고, 자살하기 얼마 전에 가족들에게 회사 다니는 것이 힘든다며 회사를 그만둘 뜻을 표시하기도 하였고 사직서를 작성하기도 한 사실, 2004. 3. 22. 망인이 귀가하지 아니하고 다음날에도 출근을 하지 않아 가족들이 찾아 나선 결과, 2004. 3. 23. 09:00경 망인의 사무실에서 1km가량 떨어진 이천시 갈산동 복하2교 부근 인삼밭 고랑에서 소주와 농약을 마시고 쓰러져 있는 채 발견되었으며, 인근 이천의료원으로 후송되었으나 이미 사망한 상태였던 사실, 망인의 책상에서 “동료 여러분께. 모든 분께 미안하고 죄송합니다. 못난 저를 용서하세요(부디). 능력이 없고 무능하여 세상 살기가 힘들어서 먼저 갑니다.”, “사랑하는 가족에게. 모든 가족이 눈앞에 어른거리지만 이 길을 택할 수밖에 없는 나를 용서하고 부디 열심히 살아주길 바라오. 면목이 없구료.”라는 내용의 유서 2장이 발견된 사실, 평소 망인은 내성적이며 남들에게 싫은 소리를 하지 못하고 화가 나더라도 혼자 속으로 삭이는 성격이었으며 매사에 꼼꼼하고 정리정돈된 것을 좋아한 사실, 망인은 정신과적 치료를 받은 적이 없으나, 주변 사람들의 진술 등을 종합해 볼 때 팀장 발령 후 망인의 상태는 우울증 진단기준의 하나인 DSM-IV(정신장애 진단 및 통계편람 제4판)상의 주요 우울증 삽화기준을 만족시켰을 가능성이 크고, 한편 전체 우울증 환자의 약 2/3가 자살을 고려하며 10~15%가 자살을 한다는 연구결과가 있는 사실 등이 인정된다.

However, even if examining the above facts, it appears that the deceased suffered from mental burden and stress in relation to his work and suffering from depression. Furthermore, it is difficult to view that the content and work hours of the deceased's work in charge and the work hours are similar to those of the workers engaged in the same kind of work in a qualitative and quantitative manner compared to the ordinary work contents and time of the worker engaged in the same kind of work, and it is difficult to view that the deceased's surrounding circumstances, such as the relationship with the subordinate employees and the superior of the company, etc., such as the relationship with the subordinate employees, etc., cannot be said to have been extremely bad enough to see, and the situation that the deceased's preparation for bruping against the Seoul Seoul Electric Power Management Agency and the situation that the deceased was ordered by his superior to the wind that he left the job, is not suitable for the occupational stress caused by depression, as it can be ordinarily in the workplace life.

Furthermore, the following circumstances revealed by the record, namely, the Deceased’s temporary retirement from office for military service after becoming a member of the Korea Electric Power Corporation. It is difficult to conclude that the director of the Korea Electric Power Corporation delayed promotion, and that there was no instruction or use of honorary retirement from office for reasons of omission of promotion by the Korea Electric Power Corporation. The Deceased showed a passive attitude in business cooperation with other team teams opened from the second or third round of a month to the higher department, such as failure to attend a meeting, which is not due to excessive work burden, but because it is difficult for the Deceased to be aware that it was difficult for him/her to view that it was difficult for him/her to view that it was difficult for him/her to take into account mental stress on the day of his/her refusal to commit suicide, and that it was difficult for him/her to view that it was difficult for him/her to take into account mental stress on the day of his/her refusal to commit suicide, and that it was difficult for him/her to view that it was difficult for him/her to take into account mental stress on the day of his/her refusal of work.

Therefore, the judgment of the court below which judged the death of the deceased due to his occupational accident is erroneous in the misapprehension of legal principles as to proximate causal relation in occupational accident, which affected the conclusion of the judgment. The appeal pointing this out is with merit.

Therefore, the judgment of the court below is reversed, and the case is remanded to the court below for a new trial and determination. It is so decided as per Disposition by the assent of all participating Justices on the bench.

Justices Kim Hwang-sik (Presiding Justice)