President Lee Jae Myung calls the incident 'unacceptable' on social media, urges investigation
A video showing a Sri Lankan man tied to a forklift being lifted off the ground in a brick factory at Naju, South Jeolla Province, sparked public outrage in South Korea on Thursday.
The short clip, filmed earlier in July and released by a migrant worker’s human rights network based in South Jeolla Province on Thursday, shows the man bound with vinyl wrap while a forklift hoists and transports him. Laughter can be heard in the background; no one is seen attempting to intervene.
According to the group, although it was not captured on video, one person scolded the victim, saying, “You should say sorry.”
The victim, a Sri Lankan man in his 30s, is reportedly suffering from psychological trauma following the incident.
“The worker’s basic dignity as a human being was completely disregarded,” the civic group said during a press conference Thursday morning. “This is a dehumanizing act that treats a migrant worker as a tool, not a person.”
The group urged authorities to launch a full investigation and hold the perpetrators accountable.
President Lee Jae Myung condemned the video on social media, calling for a thorough investigation.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the video,” Lee said in the Facebook post. “It is hard to accept that such an incident occurred in a country known as a global cultural powerhouse and a model democracy. This is an intolerable act of violence against a vulnerable minority and a blatant violation of human rights."
He continued, "The way we treat those who are powerless and in difficult circumstances reflects the true dignity of our society."
Lee vowed that the government, including the Ministry of Employment and Labor, would respond actively to ensure that no human rights violations or labor exploitation occur by taking advantage of workers’ visa status.
shinjh@heraldcorp.com
