How South Korea is transforming way it bids farewell to migrants killed at workplace

On a quiet March morning at Incheon International Airport, the head of a government agency responsible for administering industrial accident insurance stood before a memorial adorned with flowers and a photo of Nguyen Van Tuan.The 23-year-old Vietnamese worker had died 10 days earlier in a conveyor belt accident at a gravel factory in Icheon, Gyeonggi province.Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (K-Comwel) President Park Jong-kil bowed deeply, offered flowers and placed his hand on the shoulder of Tuan’s friend who was there to escort his remains home.In halting words bridged by interpreters, Park delivered a letter expressing gratitude for Tuan’s contributions to South Korea and offering sympathy.“The language was different, but the grief was the same,” he recalled in an interview at the agency’s Seoul office.Foreign workers stage a labour rally in central Seoul on April 26. Photo: Korea TimesThat airport farewell marked the debut of the country’s first pilot scheme expanding funeral support for deceased foreign workers, a benefit the agency is now working to institutionalise through reforms.Park’s commitment to provide foreign workers with such support stems from a disturbing reality he discovered: families of migrant workers killed in industrial accidents often abandon their loved ones’ remains here because they cannot afford repatriation costs.The programme transforms what would have been a lonely departure into a moment of national recognition, with K-Comwel preparing memorial spaces with photo displays and quiet rooms for mourning.South Korea’s industrial accident insurance, introduced in 1964 when the country had virtually no foreign workers, currently does not cover repatriation costs or memorial services. K-Comwel is pushing to expand funeral benefits to include air travel support for families, accommodation costs and cremation and remains transport expenses.“Migrant workers are precious members who sustain our industrial sites. They deserve the right to work safely and receive fair compensation,” he said. “I think the level of protection we provide migrant workers demonstrates the strength of our society’s safety net.”Disproportionate death rateAccording to Ministry of Employment and Labour data, 605 workers died in industrial accidents last year.Further ReadingForeign workers, who comprise roughly 3.5 per cent of the workforce, accounted for over 10 per cent of annual workplace fatalities – a disproportionate death rate that highlights severe safety vulnerabilities.The initiative is part of K-Comwel’s broader commitment. Park said the agency’s insurance coverage applies to all workers regardless of immigration status – a crucial message for Korea’s more than 1 million foreign workers, including undocumented labourers who may fear seeking help.He pointed to a recent case that tested this principle. In February, a Thai worker suffered severe internal injuries when his South Korean employer at a factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi province, allegedly shot a high-pressure air gun.Despite being undocumented, he would receive full industrial accident compensation, K-Comwel confirmed.“Even undocumented workers are protected,” Park said. “If you’re injured at work, you’re covered, period. Age, legal status – none of it matters.”A foreign employee works at a factory in Paju, Gyeonggi province. Photo: Korea TimesHis philosophy is shaped by historical memory. South Korea, now a destination for foreign workers, was once a labour exporter itself, dispatching nurses and miners to Germany during the country’s economic development.“We also experienced the hardships of working overseas,” he said. “That experience should be our standard for treating migrant workers – not as simple labour, but as constituents who deserve respect and equal protection from danger.”Additionally, Park stressed accident prevention over response. He said K-Comwel was now eliminating insurance coverage blind spots, expediting compensation decisions and expanding rehabilitation and psychological support for injured workers.As South Korea observes its second Industrial Accident Workers’ Memorial Week since its official designation in 2024, Park pledged sustained commitment.“We may not have fully understood the difficulties you face working in a foreign country, or the magnitude of grief and suffering from loss and injury,” he said.“To those who lost loved ones to industrial accidents, I offer my deepest condolences. Through systems and policies, we will ensure no injured worker and no bereaved family is left alone. We will stay with you until the end.”