Police have launched a formal investigation into allegations that the head of a manufacturing company in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, inflicted serious injuries on a foreign worker by blasting high-pressure air into his organs. President Lee Jae-myung ordered a thorough probe into the case, prompting the Ministry of Employment and Labor to begin a planned inspection of the workplace in question.
The Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency's regional investigation unit formed a dedicated team to handle the case involving the injury of a Thai worker in his 40s, identified as "A," at a plating company in Hyangnam-eup, Hwaseong, and has conducted an interview with the victim, police said Monday. Police plan to summon the company's representative, identified as "B," for questioning as a suspect after establishing the exact circumstances based on hospital diagnoses and on-site conditions.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, B allegedly approached A while he was working on February 20 this year, pressed an air gun against his anal area, and blasted high-pressure air. A suffered abdominal distension, organ damage, and breathing difficulties as a result, underwent surgery, and remains under medical treatment. A's representatives claim the company obstructed proper treatment after the incident and pressured him to return to his home country.
A entered South Korea in 2011 under the Employment Permit System (E-9 visa) and is currently an undocumented worker after his visa expired. "We are verifying the facts by combining the victim's statements with medical records," a police official said. "We cannot disclose specific details of the testimony."
The Ministry of Employment and Labor has also launched a joint inspection covering industrial safety and labor practices. The ministry plans to work with the Gyeonggi Regional Employment and Labor Office to conduct intensive inspections of the workplace for violations of labor laws — including assault of foreign workers, workplace harassment, and unpaid wages — as well as violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The Ministry of Justice is also examining the case through its Immigration and Foreign Policy Headquarters' Immigrant Rights Protection Task Force, and is reviewing measures to grant the victim a stable residency status. The ministry is additionally looking into possible violations of the Immigration Control Act by the employer, including illegal employment.
"Violence and discrimination against migrant workers, who are among the most vulnerable in our society, is a serious crime that can never be tolerated," President Lee said, calling on relevant agencies to take active measures and review the current state of human rights violations against migrant workers.