Thousands of South Koreans mourn tragic death of coal worker sucked into conveyor belt
- Activists say if Kim had not been working unaccompanied, another person could have saved his life
- Kim was the ninth subcontracted worker to die from work-related injuries at the Chungnam plant since 2010
Some 2,500 South Koreans marched through Seoul Saturday to honour a worker who was crushed to death at a coal plant fuelling an outcry which led to a landmark amendment of the nation’s industrial safety laws.
Kim Yong-kyun, 24, died last month after being sucked into a coal conveyor belt. He was working as a contractor at a power plant 110km south of Seoul.
His death triggered uproar in South Korea where critics say work safety is compromised for temporary or contract workers – despite being a wealthy, developed economy which is the fourth-biggest in Asia.
Labour activists say if Kim had not been working unaccompanied, another person could have saved Kim’s life by turning off the conveyor belt. Kim was the ninth subcontracted worker to have died from work-related injuries at the Chungnam plant in Taean since 2010.
Kim’s mother, Kim Mi-sook, refused to hold a funeral until the government introduced protective measures for temporary workers, 60 per cent of whom are deprived of employment benefits including health insurance.