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A deceptive subcontracting practice in this case involved setting up a company called “Meicell” and using it as a channel for being supplied with migrant workers as illegal temporary employees as needed. This allowed for the workforce to be operated flexibly according to order volumes, while reducing responsibilities in terms of labor costs and management...

Temporary agencies have proliferated in Ansan, which is a 30-minute drive from Aricell. Every morning, commuter buses shuttle workers to factories. There are few if any signs of authorities attempting to police the situation or catch the employers in the act.

As a weak link the labor structure comes together with issues relating to migrant workers, the risks at workplaces are amplified. Migrant workers typically require more thorough safety education than their Korean counterparts. In practice, the reverse tends to be the case.

Workers with experience doing temporary jobs at Aricell said they not only did not receive safety education but were not even told where the emergency exits were...