South Korea forced to act after Cambodian worker’s death in freezing greenhouse dorm
Seoul has apologised and pledged to improve foreign worker housing following the woman’s death in a makeshift dwelling in 2020
Earlier that day, Supreme Court justices upheld the verdict of a lower court, which ordered the government to pay 10 million won (US$7,000) to each of her parents after recognising its failure in properly overseeing the living conditions of her workplace.
Sokheng entered South Korea as a migrant worker and was staying in a makeshift vinyl greenhouse structure used as her accommodation near a vegetable farm in Pocheon, Gyeonggi province. The 30-year-old was found dead in the structure on December 20, 2020, as temperatures plummeted far below freezing.
The police autopsy found that she died from complications related to liver cirrhosis. The poor living conditions were cited as a factor that worsened her health.
The ministry said it will do its utmost to prevent any recurrence of such tragedies, adding it will intensify inspections so that foreign workers do not end up living in substandard dwellings.