Migrant workers hold a rally near Seoul Station, Aug. 21, calling for better working conditions. Yonhap

By Lee Hyo-jin

Local migrants' rights groups are calling for a thorough investigation into the recent death of a Nepalese worker at a meat factory, as they view that the death could be related to harsh working conditions.

Birendra Tamang, 25, who was working in a meat factory in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, was found dead in his dormitory on Nov. 27, according to the police. His death occurred some five months after he was hired to work there.

While the police are yet to disclose the autopsy results, migrant rights activists are demanding a full investigation into possible health issues related to harsh labor conditions and long working hours.

The Nepali worker entered Korea in early July with an E-9 work visa, which guarantees a stay of up to four years and 10 months under the Employment Permit System (EPS). The employment scheme, operated by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, brings in migrant laborers from 16 countries, mostly in Southeast Asia, to fill quotas needed in industries such as agriculture, fishing and manufacturing.

Udaya Rai, head of the Migrants Trade Union, said Tamang's death could be the latest of many tragic deaths among migrant workers who still face "slave-like" conditions.

"The employer is claiming that he knows nothing about Tamang's death, since he has been working here for only five months, but that's actually the point. The police should look into what has happened to the healthy man in such a short period of time," he told The Korea Times over the phone, Thursday.

Rai stressed that the deceased was not suffering from any underlying health problems, as proven by a health checkup conducted prior to his arrival to Korea. "In order to obtain an E-9 visa, you have to prove that you are healthy by going through a medical examination," he said.

Saying that a lot of foreign workers who are not used to the harsh labor conditions in Korea often suffer from physical and mental strain, he demanded authorities find the exact cause of Tamang's death.

The Nepalese worker's death occurred amid the government's self-proclaimed increase of efforts to improve the labor and living conditions of foreign workers.

In the wake of a Cambodian worker's death inside a poorly heated greenhouse ― dormitory housing provided by her employer ― in December 2020, the related authorities have been beefing up measures to protect the safety of foreign workers. Since 2021, the government has banned employers who offer poor housing, such as sandwich panel structures, from hiring workers of foreign nationality.

During a foreign media briefing on Tuesday, Labor Minister Lee Jeong-sik stressed the government's continuous efforts to guarantee safe conditions for migrant workers.

"We are currently giving employers permission (to employ migrant workers) only after we have checked that their human rights can be guaranteed in the workplace. We are making sure that the workers are signed up for industrial insurance," he told reporters.

A ministry official at the briefing also said that local governments are requiring employers to submit photos of their dormitories to make sure that employees are offered appropriate housing.

However, Rai said that these measures are somewhat far from the reality that workers face.

"After the ministry banned employers who provide substandard accommodation from hiring migrant workers, some employers began to submit fake photos to the authorities. For instance, they submit photos of their own home or a random studio apartment," he said. "And due to the lack of proper monitoring, many workers still end up living in sandwich panel structures."