Returning to work has been an unwanted challenge for those coping with the trauma of the Itaewon tragedy.
Heavy workloads, unsustainably long hours and short annual vacation leave are major drawbacks of many jobs in Korea, as is the almost non-existent paid sick leave. For those with longstanding medical conditions and mental health issues, the limited sick leave presents a huge obstacle. It is a position that many eyewitnesses of the Itaewon crowd crush are now finding themselves in.
"I've been told that I have to go to work because the miniscule sick leave I have has already been used up. If I say that I can't come in, then I forfeit my job," said an American expat at a memorial service in Gwangju on Sunday.
Authoritarian and economic pressures including the threat of dismissal coerce employees into returning to work, even if they may not be in the right emotional state to do so and to the detriment of both themselves and their employers.