“‘Suspended sentence for fatal workplace accident involving migrant worker sparks union outrage’”, 24 October 2025

Labour unions have denounced a court ruling that granted suspended prison sentences to senior executives of a company where a migrant worker died during a factory cleaning operation.

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The fatal incident occurred on 14 July 2023, when a migrant worker was caught and killed by a die-casting machine while cleaning moulds at an M-Tech plant. The company’s CEO and executive director, along with the corporate entity, were charged with violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (industrial accident causing death).

In the initial trial, the court sentenced the CEO to two years in prison, the executive director to 18 months in prison, and imposed a ₩150 million fine on the company. However, on 23 October, the appellate bench (Criminal Division 3-2 of the Ulsan District Court) overturned the custodial sentences, issuing instead a suspended sentence of two years’ imprisonment with three years’ probation for the CEO, and 18 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years for the executive director.

The appellate court cited the following factors in reducing the sentence: the defendants expressed remorse, reached a financial settlement with the victim’s family, were first-time offenders, the victim bore partial responsibility, and the company had taken steps to prevent similar accidents following the incident. On this basis, the court ruled that the original sentencing was excessively harsh.

In response, the South Gyeongsang branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) issued a statement strongly condemning the ruling. () “The appeal court has effectively granted impunity to the M-Tech executives who pursued profit over the lives and safety of workers, resulting in the death of a migrant worker,” the union stated. (…) “We urge the prosecution to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge the flawed judgment of the appellate court.”