Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Korea honors Myanmar worker killed in industrial accident
Park Jong-kil, president of the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (K-COMWEL), speaks to the widow of late Myanmar worker Aung Min Oo during a memorial service at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday. Courtesy of K-COMWEL
By Jung Min-ho
State agency moves to expand support for bereaved migrant workers' families
Korea has honored a Myanmar worker killed in an industrial accident here, as the state moves to formalize support for the bereaved families of foreign laborers.
The Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (K-COMWEL), a government agency responsible for administering industrial accident insurance, held a support program for families of migrant workers killed on the job at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday, for the widow of Aung Min Oo.
Aung Min Oo is a Myanmar national who died on July 1 after being caught in a conveyor belt at a KTX railway expansion site in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. His family traveled to Korea to accompany his remains home.
K-COMWEL said staff guided Aung Min Oo's widow through industrial accident compensation procedures and the repatriation process. Before her departure, the agency set up a memorial space and a private waiting area at the airport where she could pay her respects. A short remembrance service was held, during which officials delivered a letter of condolence and a consolation payment funded by employee donations. Staff accompanied her to the boarding gate.
Park Jong-kil, president of K-COMWEL, visited the airport in person, saying honoring migrant workers killed in industrial accidents and their bereaved families is part of the agency’s duty. He added that he intends to develop the trial support program into a sustainable public service as Korea's foreign worker population continues to grow.
“The late worker played an important role for our society and economy and we are grateful for his dedication. If there are any further needs related to the industrial accident after your return home, we will continue to provide support until the end,” Park told Aung Min Oo's widow.
She expressed her gratitude for the support, saying she hopes that “tragic sacrifices like my husband’s will never happen again and that safe working conditions will be guaranteed for everyone,” according to K-COMWEL officials.
Tuesday's event was the second of its kind. On March 20, the agency arranged a memorial at Incheon International Airport for Nguyen Van Tuan, a 23-year-old Vietnamese worker killed in a conveyor belt accident at a gravel factory in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, and assisted his friend — who came to escort his remains home — with compensation procedures and the repatriation of his body to Vietnam.
The cases reflect a growing policy challenge. According to data from the Ministry of Justice, the number of foreign workers in Korea rose from 843,000 in 2022 to 1.11 million last year, with many employed in high-risk sectors such as manufacturing and construction.
K-COMWEL said it is now working to formalize and expand the program through local government partnerships.
“We have been discussing institutionalizing the family support program in partnership with Gyeonggi Province, and once that model is in place, we plan to expand cooperation to other local governments,” said a K-COMWEL official.
“We are discussing measures such as helping families with notarization procedures to speed up their entry into Korea, providing financial support for funeral costs and living expenses during their stay, arranging interpreters, and offering a wide range of legal services ... We expect to be able to make the details public by the end of the year.”