A memorial for Harold Lazaga, a 44-year-old Filipino migrant worker who died in a Gimpo factory accident, was established on November 7 at a funeral home in Bucheon, 23 days after the incident.
Visitors to the memorial on November 8 left messages of condolence and remembrance on one wall, written in English, Tagalog, and Korean. The memorial was relatively quiet, with only a few supporters present.
Lazaga died on October 15 at around 4:30 p.m. while grinding automotive parts at the Joil Industrial Gimpo factory in Wolgot-myeon, Gimpo, when he was struck by debris from a broken grinding wheel.
He entered South Korea in 2004 on an E-9 employment visa and reportedly worked undocumented after his visa expired. Since last year, he had been employed at the factory through a staffing agency, raising concerns among labor groups about potential illegal dispatch practices.
His body was kept in a hospital morgue for some time after the accident. According to reports, the company cited visa procedures for the delay in returning the body to the family, while supporting civic groups claimed that the family did not receive funeral expenses from the company. Due to financial constraints, his brother, who was working in New Zealand, traveled to South Korea to oversee the funeral.
On October 28, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Gyeonggi Migrant Equality Coalition held a press conference in front of the Bucheon branch of the Central Regional Employment and Labor Agency, demanding special labor inspections, accountability for those responsible, and measures to prevent future incidents. They argued that safety guards on the grinding machine were inadequately installed and that protective gear and safety management were insufficient.
Reports indicate that the grinding machine was operating at 2,400 rpm, exceeding the normal range of 2,000 rpm at the time of the accident. The company stated that it provided safety equipment and training and promptly informed the family of the death.
Support for the families of foreign workers who die from industrial accidents remains a pressing issue. Gyeonggi Province has regulations to assist the families of foreign workers who die on the job, but funding for these initiatives has not been allocated for the upcoming year, limiting support to procedural guidance.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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