Lao worker's death exposes gaps in Korea's seasonal labor system
The death of a seasonal worker from Laos just three days after arriving in Korea has exposed shortcomings in local governments' oversight of foreign workers on farms, with the case highlighting a recurring practice of sending workers into the field with little time to adjust or receive adequate safety training. The worker, a Lao national in her 30s, went missing on Aug. 7 after complaining of heat-related discomfort while working in a pumpkin field in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, under a severe heat wave warning. She was found dead in nearby bushes the following day. The case has highlighted gaps in how seasonal workers are deployed to farms, with workers often put on the job soon after their arrival. The Lao worker arrived in Korea on the morning of Aug. 5 and reached Yeoju City Hall at around 11 a.m., where she completed immigration registration and underwent drug screening and a medical examination. She then received about three hours of orientation on living in Korea before her employer picked her up from the city hall that evening and took her to the farm. Without a separate adjustment
