{"id":2207880,"date":"2025-01-08T17:25:37","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T08:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2207880"},"modified":"2025-01-09T19:00:23","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T10:00:23","slug":"workplace-safety-for-foreign-workers-remains-a-growing-challenge-in-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/workplace-safety-for-foreign-workers-remains-a-growing-challenge-in-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"Workplace safety for foreign workers remains a growing challenge in South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s reliance on foreign labor reached a critical point in 2024, with <\/span>nearly half<\/span><\/a> of its 1.1 million foreign workers employed in high-risk sectors such as mining and manufacturing. While these workers are essential to the economy, systemic vulnerabilities in workplace safety and labor policies have created a cycle of exploitation.<\/span><\/p>\n A combination of lax enforcement, inadequate healthcare access, and restrictive visa policies has made foreign workers disproportionately vulnerable, highlighting the urgent need for reform.<\/span><\/p>\n RISING FATALITIES AND SYSTEMIC RISKS<\/b><\/p>\n Industrial accidents highlight the growing dangers foreign workers face. According to data provided to <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> by People Power Party lawmaker Kim Wi-sang\u2019s office, foreign workers accounted for about 9% of all workplace fatalities in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite an overall decline in workplace fatalities in 2023, foreign workers represented a higher proportion, at 10.4%. From January to March 2024, this trend worsened, with foreign workers comprising <\/span>11.2%<\/span><\/a> of industrial accident deaths.<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>June 2024 fire<\/span><\/a> at the Aricell battery factory exemplified these risks. The disaster claimed 23 lives, including 18 foreign nationals, most of whom were women employed through temporary staffing agencies.<\/span><\/p>\n Prosecutors deemed the fire a \u201cman-made disaster\u201d rooted in safety negligence, indicting Aricell\u2019s CEO for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and laws protecting foreign workers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond industrial accidents, healthcare gaps compound these vulnerabilities. <\/span>Data<\/span><\/a> from the Ministry of Justice shows that nearly half of the 15,325 foreign worker deaths between 2018 and 2022 were classified as having \u201cunknown causes,\u201d indicating significant shortcomings in healthcare access and post-mortem investigations.<\/span><\/p>\n Annual fatalities have risen steadily, from 2,657 in 2018 to 3,551 in 2022, reflecting persistent systemic failures.<\/span><\/p>\n