The Seoul Administrative Court sided with the family of a sales management employee who died from acute alcohol poisoning in 2022 after attending three consecutive gatherings connected to his job, according to the ruling shared online.

His family had challenged an earlier decision by the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service, which denied them survivor benefits and funeral expenses.

The man was found dead in his car outside his home early on July 2, 2022.

An autopsy revealed he had died from consuming a large quantity of alcohol in a short period. Investigations showed he attended work- drinking sessions from June 29 to July 1—first, a client dinner; next, a team gathering led by a senior manager; and finally, a welcome dinner for two newly hired foreign colleagues, as reported by The Korea Herald.

The final gathering, costing over one million won (US$930), raised legal questions.

The workers’ compensation agency argued that the event was not officially sanctioned by the company, particularly because participants split the bill, suggesting it was personal rather than professional.

However, the court disagreed, emphasizing the professional context of the gathering.

In the ruling issued on July 30, the court noted that despite the worker paying for the meal on the third night, the gathering was organized for employees from an overseas branch, making business cooperation essential.

The deceased had been preparing for a six-month overseas assignment and needed to establish rapport with the newly hired foreign colleagues.

Given these circumstances, the court concluded the employee likely felt obligated to attend and consume alcohol.

“The cost of the meal was also deemed too substantial to be considered purely for personal socializing. Given these factors, the court concluded it was a work- dinner.”

The court also found that the drinking that took place during the first and second dinners, also deemed work-, may have collectively contributed to the worker’s death, recognizing “a substantial causal link” between the worker’s job and death.

It overturned the decision that had denied survivor benefits and funeral expenses.