Cambodian woman’s death spotlights exploitation of migrant workers at South Korean farms
- Nuon Sokkheng’s death at a farm in Pocheon last December has revived criticism over South Korean exploitation of some of the poorest people in Asia
- Activists say migrant labourers, who often are crammed in shipping containers, work 10-15 hours a day, with only two Saturdays off per month
“It’s a world of lawlessness,” Reverend Kim Dal-sung muttered over the phone as he drove his tiny KIA over narrow dirt paths zigzagging through greenhouses made of plastic sheets and tubes.
The death of a 31-year-old Cambodian woman worker at one of the farms in December has revived decades-long criticism over South Korean exploitation of some of the poorest, most vulnerable people in Asia. Officials have promised reforms, but it’s unclear what will change.
More than two months after Nuon Sokkheng’s death, South Korea this week announced plans to improve conditions for migrant farm workers, including expanding health care access. Daunted by opposition from farmers, officials chose not to ban using shipping containers as shelter.
On a chilly February afternoon, groups of workers wearing bandanas and conical hats appeared and disappeared among hundreds of translucent tunnel-shaped greenhouses – each about 91m long – harvesting spinach, lettuce and other winter greens and stacking them high in boxes.