[Unofficial Korean-to-English translation provided by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

"[Spotlight] Burned and poked in the eye, but not compensated...Migrant workers face double risk regarding workplace injury compensation," 30 April 2024

... Migrant workers, many of whom work in industries that are vulnerable to industrial accidents, are taking greater risks on the job, and as a result, they face double risk: accidents are constantly happening on the job, but it is difficult to apply for compensation.

Mr. Pallava, a 33-year-old Bangladeshi, can barely see in his right eye since two years ago, when he was hit in the eye by a flying piece of sheet metal while working at the factory. ... His employer ... told him that if he filed for workers' compensation, he would have to return home. When Mr. Pallava still wanted to file for compensation, the employer insisted he write on the application that he was injured by his own mistake. ...

Mr. Pyo, who came to Korea from Myanmar in 2017, got a burn injury six years ago while working in a foundry with no protective gear. ... More than two-thirds of his body had second-degree burns. ... His compensation application was approved, but the problem was his visa. He was hospitalized for a year and four months, and in order to continue receiving treatment in Korea, he had to go to the immigration office every two months to renew his visa.

...The number of occupational accidents among migrant workers that the government has identified has risen every year, topping 8,000 in 2022, but migrant workers' organizations claim the official number is only a fraction. ...Migrant workers currently make up 3.25% of all wage earners in the country, but when it comes to workplace deaths, they account for 10.2%. Most migrant workers are employed by companies with 50 employees or less, leaving them in dangerous and poor working conditions, the so-called workers' compensation blind spot.

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