Industrial accidents among foreign workers rise over past 5 years

Foreign workers from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Migrants' Trade Union demand an end to forced labor and the protection of laborer's rights in front of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office, Sunday. Yonhap

By Ko Dong-hwan

• Published Sep 21, 2025 4:21 PM KST

Manufacturing, construction sector most prone to workplace accidents

The number of foreign workers in Korea who have suffered workplace accidents has increased over the past five years, data showed Sunday, sparking criticism over loopholes in the country’s safety measures for migrant laborers.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor data submitted to Rep. Kang Deuk-gu of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the total number of foreign workers who suffered accidents at their workplace reached 9,219 last year, the highest since 2020. The figure includes 114 who died due to either accident or illness related to their work.

The data showed the number of victims has been increasing every year since 2020, rising from 7,583 to 8,030 in 2021; 8,286 in 2022; 8,792 in 2023; and 9,219 last year. In the first half of this year, the figure reached 4,550, raising concerns that the 2025 total may rise again.

Over the past five years, annual fatalities have consistently remained above 100, with the highest figure of 129 in 2021, indicating little change from earlier trends.

By segment, manufacturing and construction industries were most prone to accidents, together claiming nearly or over 6,000 victims each year throughout the period. Last year, the number stood at 7,004, accounting for 75 percent of the total victims of the year.

The majority of the victims in the physically demanding industries sustained injuries from accidents rather than due to illness. Last year, out of 3,602 victims from manufacturing, 3,495 were accident victims. Construction workplaces saw 3,095 accident victims out of a total of 3,402 during the same year.

Agriculture followed with 268 victims last year, while the logistics, warehouse and ICT industries together saw 130 victims in the same year.

Another notable trend was the rate of increase in foreign victims in the agriculture and fishery industries over the past five years. The number of foreign safety accident victims in both fields amounted to 149 in 2020 and 293 last year, a 96 percent hike. During the same period, however, figures for the overall group were 687 in 2020 and 801 last year, an increase of 16 percent.

Despite the government’s campaign to prevent industrial accidents and the imposition of tougher regulations, safety for foreign workers remains a blind spot. On Saturday, a foreign worker was killed in Buyeo County, South Chungcheong Province, after he was crushed by a collapsed structure, while on Sept. 16, another worker died in Incheon when he was caught in machinery at a metal factory.

Last week, the government unveiled a comprehensive labor safety plan under which companies linked to fatal accidents involving foreign workers will be barred from hiring them for three years, but critics argue the measures are still inadequate.

“One of the goals of the Lee Jae Myung administration is to make Korea safe for all workers regardless of their nationalities,” Kang said. "The country needs to introduce stronger investigations into causes of the foreign workers’ accidents and other solutions such as mandatory workplace education for foreigners in multiple languages and introducing new safety officers on field who are dedicated to foreigners."