Lee orders stern response to alleged abuse of workers at car battery plant

President Lee Jae Myung ordered the authorities Monday to respond sternly to allegations that a car battery manufacturer duped its workers into getting shots to discharge heavy metals from their bodies in order to cover up dangerous levels of lead in its production line, his spokesperson said.

According to a news report, DN Automotive, a major local car battery manufacturer, tricked workers at its plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan into getting the shots multiple times by disguising them as "vitamin injections" ahead of their medical exams.

Lee was briefed on the labor ministry's recent decision to refer the company to the police for investigation, and strongly rebuked the government over the fact that the company had passed a work environment assessment even after five times the allowed level of lead was found in its production process, according to his spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.

"President Lee said it was an unacceptable and grave human rights violation that a company, which should protect workers' lives and health, made its workers get injections while hiding potential side effects and covered up the exposure to harmful substances," Kang said during a press briefing. "He ordered a stern response."

To the labor ministry and investigative agencies, Lee ordered a thorough investigation to verify the exact level of exposure to harmful substances at the production site, how the injections were administered and whether any medical exam results had been covered up.

He also instructed the authorities to take stern measures in case any violations of the law are found, according to Kang. In addition, the president called for a close inspection of potentially similar cases at other production facilities and all possible measures to protect the health and human rights of workers.