"Costco employee's death ruled an industrial accident," 3 Nov 2023

The death of Costco employee Kim Dong-ho, who died while organizing shopping carts under extreme heat conditions, has been officially recognized as an industrial accident.

[...] Kim collapsed on June 19 in the parking lot of the Hanam branch of Costco Korea in Gyeonggi. The 29-year-old employee had been working in extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit), and had walked nearly 30,000 steps that day.

[...] “The death could have been prevented with basic protections for workers, such as proper staffing, and access to breaks and rest facilities,” Kwon said. “We need Costco Korea to apologize to the families and promise to prevent a recurrence.”

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is currently conducting an investigation to determine whether Costco Korea violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accident Punishment Act.