Editor's Pick: "I Want to Hold My Son's Funeral"... Bereaved Father's Cry Over Government's Silence

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

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

The bereaved family stated that 48 days have passed since the accident, yet they have not heard even basic details regarding the circumstances and cause of the accident from the government.

[Father of the late Kim Seung-mo: "My family and I only learn about this situation through the news or word of mouth. Shouldn't we at least get direct and official answers from the Ministry of Employment and Labor to ease our frustration?"]

At the time of the accident, Kim was working with his body inside the machine, and 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 should have been equipped with safety devices such as an interlock that stops operation when the door opens, and a warning sign must be in place if someone is working inside the machine. It was revealed that none of these were present at the site.

[Father of the late Kim Seung-mo: "It's pointless to punish powerless managers or puppet CEOs. If punishments are to be made, they should be directed at those with real power."]

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

They noted that lifting the work suspension order requires a determination that the risk of a serious accident has been removed, but since they received no explanation whatsoever, they demanded that the ministry disclose the grounds and related documents for this decision.

In response, the Ministry of Employment and Labor told SBS, "At a recently held deliberation committee, it was determined that the requirements for lifting the work suspension order were met."

48 Days After Entrapment Accident..."We Still Don't Know the Cause of Our Son's Death" (September 7, 2026, 8 News)

(Reported by Kim Gyu-ri | Produced by Bae Jun-hwi | Filmed by Choi Dae-woong | Video edited by Kim Ho-jin | Design by Choi Ha-neul | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.