"Migrant Worker Deaths During Heatwave... Expanded Protection Measures Needed"

Migrant Workers Equality Solidarity Issues Statement
"Government Must Take Special Measures"

As the sweltering heat continues day after day, three recent cases in which migrant workers have either died from or are suspected to have died from heat-related illnesses have prompted labor and human rights organizations to call on the government to take urgent action.

In a statement released on July 28, Migrant Workers Equality Solidarity declared, "Migrant workers are dying of heat-related illnesses during the heatwave," and urged, "To prevent any further deaths, the government must take special measures."

Farmers and foreign workers are thinning out and weeding. This photo is for illustrative purposes and unrelated to specific content. Photo by Yonhap News.

Two Recent Migrant Worker Deaths from Heat-Related Illness

Farmers and foreign workers are engaged in thinning and weeding work. This photo is for illustrative purposes and is unrelated to the specific content. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to the statement, on the 4th of this month, a Vietnamese worker in his 20s collapsed and lost consciousness while cutting weeds in a hill area in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province. He was transported to a hospital but died. Medical staff identified the cause of death as heatstroke.

On July 11, a Nepalese worker in his 30s was found collapsed at a pig farm in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province. In another incident on July 25, a Thai worker in his 30s, who had complained of dizziness while working in a field in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, collapsed and died while heading back to his accommodation. The group claimed that both cases were deaths resulting from heat-related illnesses.

The group also emphasized that last year, a Vietnamese worker in his 20s who was working at an apartment construction site in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, and a Nepalese worker in his 40s who was contracted to do weed-clearing for a forestry cooperative in Pohang, died during heatwaves, stressing that harsh working conditions continue to be repeated.

Group Calls for Expanded Government Protection Measures

The group highlighted that migrant workers are in extremely vulnerable environments, whether at worksites or accommodations during heatwaves. Because of the difficulty in raising objections or refusing employers' orders, migrant workers are forced to work helplessly even during temperatures of extreme heat.

They called on the government to: ▲ promptly issue heatwave alerts in multiple languages ▲ require mandatory breaks when the perceived temperature exceeds 33 degrees Celsius and provide detailed guidance on heat safety measures, along with strict punishment for violating employers ▲ strengthen supervision and management of outdoor work sites ▲ and expand protection policies to include seasonal and undocumented workers.

The group emphasized, "The lives and safety of migrant workers are equally valuable," and added, "No migrant worker should lose their life from dangerous labor in an unprepared heatwave."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.