'My husband who championed safety died due to lack of it': Daehan Shipbuilding worker's family demands probe

Families of a deceased worker are demanding an immediate investigation and special supervision into the death of a 50-year-old man at Daehan Shipbuilding. The family alleges the death occurred due to unsafe working conditions amid extreme heat, despite the worker's advocacy for safety. They are calling for a thorough examination of the heat, working environment, workload, and safety measures in place at the time of the incident.

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The person who spoke of worker safety has returned to us dead from a site where safety was not protected.

"The person who spoke of worker safety has returned to us dead from a site where safety was not protected," said the wife of the deceased worker at a press conference held on August 14 outside the Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office. The Gwangju-Jeonnam Labor Safety and Health Watchdog and the bereaved family urged immediate investigation and special supervision into the fatal accident that occurred on June 24 at Daehan Shipbuilding in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province.

The group demanded that the labor authorities conduct a comprehensive investigation into the "serious accident" that occurred during extreme heat. They called for a full review of the temperature, working conditions, work hours, intensity, rest facilities, break times, heat illness prevention measures, and whether the employer fulfilled their safety and health obligations. The family stressed the need to clarify how the heat and working environment contributed to the worker's death.

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My husband always talked about safety. He raised his voice for worker safety, even shaving his head at times to fight for it. Yet, at the moment he needed safety the most, he could not return to his family from an unsafe work environment.

The worker's wife recounted, "My husband always talked about safety. He raised his voice for worker safety, even shaving his head at times to fight for it." She expressed her grief, stating, "Yet, at the moment he needed safety the most, he could not return to his family from an unsafe work environment." She added that three weeks have passed since her husband's death, and the family has received no clear explanation, written response, or satisfactory progress report on the investigation. The family is demanding that the incident be formally investigated as a suspected heat-related death, a serious accident, and a major industrial accident, not merely as a civil complaint.

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We are demanding that the incident be formally investigated as a suspected heat-related death, a serious accident, and a major industrial accident, not merely as a civil complaint.