Head of domestic builder POSCO E&C took solemn responsibility for a series of fatal industrial accidents that occurred at its workplaces this year, hours after President Lee Jae Myung reprimanded the company.

In a statement of public apology on Tuesday, POSCO E&C President and CEO Jeong Hee-min apologized for causing great concern after five of its workers died in serious accidents this year, pledging to actively cooperate with an investigation into the latest case to find the exact cause.

Jeong also promised to provide all necessary support to the bereaved families.

The comment comes after a worker in their 60s at the company's construction site on the Hamyang-Ulsan expressway in South Gyeongsang Province died on Monday after being caught in a drilling machine.

The company chief said all of its sites halted work following Monday's accident to begin an emergency safety inspection and that work will be indefinitely suspended until on-site safety is confirmed.

He also promised to establish a new disaster-prevention safety system for the company's employees.

Earlier in the day, President Lee censured the company for failing to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents at unsafe industrial sites, even accusing the builder of killing its workers through gross negligence.