Following the recent death of a worker due to asphyxiation, it has come to light that another worker collapsed at the same site shortly before the incident, prompting calls for better safety measures.
A tragic incident at the Daebul Industrial Complex in Yeongam, South Korea, has raised serious safety concerns after a Vietnamese migrant worker, Truong Van Thanh, died from asphyxiation while working. Just 45 minutes prior to his collapse, another migrant worker from China collapsed under similar circumstances, highlighting a troubling pattern of neglect towards worker safety in the industrial complex. Despite the alarming situation, the employer chose to continue operations instead of pausing to assess the risks.
Labor rights organizations, including the Jeonnam Migrant Workers' Human Rights Network, have pointed out the lack of adequate responses from employers and governmental bodies regarding worker safety at the industrial site. They reported that the Chinese worker who collapsed only regained consciousness after extensive CPR efforts, yet the employer failed to stop the work, which could have averted further tragedy. This negligence has sparked outrage among labor groups, who have gathered to demand accountability and immediate reforms to improve working conditions.
With the fatality marking the sixth reported worker death in Jeollanam-do this year, advocates argue that the local and national governments are complicit in a systemic failure to protect workers. They criticize the superficial safety campaigns that only serve to appease regulatory scrutiny while the real dangers of subcontracting and labor exploitation continue unabated. Activists are calling for a formal apology from the Jeonnam government and comprehensive measures to address the rampant hazards and exploitation present in the Daebul Industrial Complex and beyond.
