Injured on the Job but Forced to Pay Medical Bills? 'Is This Even Possible?'

Questions Raised Over Lack of Social Insurance for Hongseong Worker
Ministry of Employment and Labor’s Boryeong Branch to Inspect Company A for Illegal Dispatch and Labor Violations

Mr. B, in his 20s, belonging to an outsourcing company, stated that he was working on the production line under the supervision of a manager from the original contractor, a manufacturing company located in Hongseong-gun, Chungnam. He suffered an injury requiring six weeks of recovery but had to bear the hospital expenses himself due to not being enrolled in the four major social insurances. Photo by Byungryul Lee.

"I asked to be enrolled in the four major social insurance programs, but while working under pressure, I got injured and had to pay the hospital expenses myself."

This is the complaint of Mr. B, in his 20s, who was affiliated with an outsourcing company based in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and worked at Company A, a flooring manufacturer located in Hongseong County, Chungcheongnam-do.

On August 12, Mr. B told The Asia Business Daily, "In November 2025, while working at Company A’s facility in the production process, I suffered a pinching accident where my leg got caught in equipment and was diagnosed with an injury requiring six weeks of medical treatment."

He added, "After the accident, although the company paid my wages in full as it was processed as an occupational injury, since I was not enrolled in the four major social insurance programs, I had to cover the hospital expenses myself."

Company A is also suspected of failing to report the occurrence of the industrial accident to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, even though Mr. B was injured at the production site.

Allegations have also been raised that Company A engaged in illegal dispatch practices.

Mr. B claimed, "Although I was employed by an outsourcing company, I was assigned to Company A’s fabric production line and received direct work instructions from a department head affiliated with Company A."

The current Act on the Protection, etc. of Temporary Agency Workers in Korea generally prohibits dispatching workers to direct production processes in manufacturing industries.

Even if the contract is labeled as "contracted work" or "outsourcing," if the principal company gives direct work instructions or supervision to the workers, it can be considered illegal dispatch depending on the actual working arrangements.

Company A is also suspected of bringing in foreign workers and others for the production lines through another outsourcing company.

The Boryeong Branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to conduct a labor inspection of Company A regarding suspicions of illegal dispatch and potential violations of labor-related laws.

An official from the Boryeong Branch stated, "We plan to conduct a labor inspection of Company A."

A department head at Company A denied the allegations, saying, "I have never given direct work instructions to employees from outsourcing companies nor assigned them to the production line."

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