Prosecutors have sought a one-year prison term for a man who tied a migrant worker to a forklift at a brick factory in an act of abuse.
The Gwangju District Court's Criminal Division 4 (presiding judge Seo Ji-hye) held the final hearing on Wednesday for Jeong (54), who was indicted on charges of special confinement and violating the Labor Standards Act. Jeong, who worked at a brick factory in Naju, South Jeolla Province, is accused of binding a 32-year-old Sri Lankan worker, identified as A, to a forklift with plastic wrap along with a pile of bricks and lifting him in February last year.
Investigators found that Jeong committed the act because he considered A's work performance inadequate. He admitted to all charges in court. His defense attorney pleaded for leniency, saying, "This was a spontaneous incident, and he has reached an amicable settlement with the victim," adding that "there were no collateral damages such as physical injury."
The case came to light after the South Jeolla Migrant Workers Network released a video of the incident. The footage also showed co-workers filming with their mobile phones and mocking the victim with remarks such as "Did you do wrong?" and "You have to say you did wrong." The video sparked public outrage, and President Lee Jae-myung denounced it as "intolerable violence."
The Ministry of Employment and Labor, which conducted a labor inspection at the time, determined Jeong's act constituted "assault" prohibited under the Labor Standards Act and booked him. The law punishes assault by an employer with up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won, a heavier penalty than assault under the Criminal Act. The ministry also classified the case as "workplace harassment" and imposed a 3 million won fine on Jeong. Victim A applied to the labor office in July last year to change workplaces and found new employment at a factory in Gwangju.
Prosecutors sought one year in prison for Jeong and a 5 million won fine for the brick factory's corporate entity. The South Jeolla Migrant Workers Human Rights Network criticized the sentencing recommendation, saying in a statement, "Where is justice in the face of a migrant worker's suffering? We express deep regret." The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 27.
