48 Days After Fatal Industrial Accident, Grieving Parents Still Cry Out: "We Don't Even Know Why Our Son Died"

[Anchor]

The parents of a subcontracts worker in his 20s who died in July while repairing machinery at the HL Mando plant in Pyeongtaek held a press conference today (Sept. 7). Forty-eight days have passed since their son's tragic death, yet they stated they have received no explanation regarding the circumstances or cause of the accident, prompting them to demand information disclosure and the punishment of those responsible.

Reporter Kim Gyu-ri has the story.

[Reporter]

The parents of the late Kim Seung-mo, who have yet to even hold a funeral for their son, stood in front of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Administration.

On July 22, Kim, a subcontractor worker born in 1998, lost his life in a entrapment accident while repairing machinery at the HL Mando Pyeongtaek plant.

The bereaved family stated that 48 days after the accident, they still have not heard even the most basic details from the government, such as how and why the accident occurred.

[Father of the late Kim Seung-mo: My family and I only hear about this situation through the news or by word of mouth. Shouldn't we hear directly and officially from the Ministry of Employment and Labor so we can at least relieve our frustration?]

At the time of the accident, Kim was working with his body inside the machine, but a manager, unaware of this, pressed the test-run button, leading to the fatal tragedy.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and other regulations, the machinery in question should have been equipped with safety devices such as an interlock to halt operation when the door opens, and warning signs indicating when someone is working inside must also be posted. It was revealed that none of these measures were present at the site.

[Father of the late Kim Seung-mo: What is the use of punishing powerless managers or figurehead CEOs? If anyone is to be punished, it should be those who truly hold power.]

The bereaved family also criticized the Ministry of Employment and Labor's decision on August 28 to lift the work suspension order for the Pyeongtaek plant.

They noted that lifting a work suspension order requires a judgment that the risk of a serious industrial accident has been removed, but because they received no explanation whatsoever, they demanded that the labor ministry disclose the grounds and related materials for making such a decision.

In response, the labor ministry told SBS, "Through a recently held deliberation committee, it was determined that the requirements for lifting the work suspension order had been met."

(Camera: Choi Dae-woong | Video Editing: Kim Ho-jin | Design: Choi Haneul)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.