A total of 463 migrant workers have died from industrial accidents and work-related illnesses in South Korea over the past five years, with about 80% of the deaths occurring at workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, according to government data.
The data, submitted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to Rep. Choi Ki-sang of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, covers the period from 2022 through the first quarter of this year. The figure includes both deaths from workplace accidents and deaths from illnesses recognized as work-related.
By workplace size, 362 deaths, or 78.2% of the total, occurred at businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Such workplaces often lack dedicated safety and health staff and the financial capacity of larger employers, while migrant workers face added risks from language barriers and limited access to safety training, the data showed.
"Safety and health oversight must be strengthened at all workplaces employing foreign nationals, regardless of company size or visa status, and effective preventive measures must be put in place," Choi said. "Related laws, including the enforcement decree of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, should be revised so that no migrant worker is left outside the system for accident prevention and compensation."
