A video showing a Sri Lankan migrant worker being tied up and moved by a forklift at a brick factory in Naju, South Korea has sparked national outrage. The footage, released by human rights activists, shows the 31-year-old worker bound with plastic wrap and mocked by fellow workers. President Lee Jae-myung condemned the act as a “barbaric violation of human rights” and pledged strict punishment and stronger protections for migrant workers. The Labour Ministry launched an investigation into the factory, while civil society groups decried the incident as emblematic of systemic abuse and dehumanisation of migrant labourers in Korea.

Later reporting says the government is moving to revoke the company's migrant worker employment permit, and plans to impose a "strict penalty".

In July 2025, it was reported that the Sri Lankan worker has decided not to pursue punishment for the incident, due to the toll of facing police and labor authorities, and the driver of the vehicle.

In August, reporting said the case constitutes workplace harassment, while wage theft and long working hours were also found at the site.

In May 2026, the forklift operator who had allegedly committed the abuse was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and community service, charged with special unlawful detention and violations of the Labor Standards Act. The brick manufacturing company was charged for failing to prevent workplace harassment and for negligent management, and was fined 5 million won.