Gym owner, trainer acquitted in death of member pinned by barbell during bench press

A gym owner and a trainer in Busan, South Korea, have been acquitted of charges of causing death by professional negligence following a fatal incident during a bench press workout. The court found no causal relationship between the gym's failure to employ a certified trainer and the member's death.

The incident occurred on December 20, 2024, when a 40-year-old male member was exercising alone on a bench press machine on the third floor of the gym. The barbell pinned his neck, leading to unconsciousness. He was transported to the hospital 25 minutes later and passed away a week later.

Prosecutors had charged the gym owner and a trainer, arguing they neglected safety management by failing to deploy the required number of certified trainers. The Sports Facilities Act mandates at least one certified trainer for gyms under 300 square meters of exercise space and two or more for larger facilities.

However, the court dismissed the charges. Judge Kim Soo-hong stated in his ruling that even if a certified trainer had been present, it's unlikely they could have prevented the accident. The court reasoned that the gym environment, unlike swimming pools, does not carry inherently high risks requiring constant monitoring of user safety. Therefore, the legal obligation for the gym to continuously supervise users was not established, and the lack of a trainer was not deemed the cause of death.

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While it is acknowledged that Mr. A did not deploy a sports instructor, it is difficult to see that the accident could have been prevented even if a sports instructor had been present. The causal relationship between the violation of duty and the victim's death is not recognized. Unlike swimming pools where danger is inherent, there is no basis to assume a duty to constantly check for user accidents in a gym, where the risk is not considered particularly high.