Civic group Pocheon Migrant Workers Centre (PMWC) raised suspicions that the deceased worker, who was an illegal migrant, may have been subjected to inhumane working conditions. It is reported that he, along with the farm’s owner, raised almost 1,000 pigs at the farm.
A small room adjacent to the pen where the deceased man worked had no heating and black mold on walls and ceilings, according to Kim Dal-sung, head of the PMWC.
“When I entered the room, it was hard to breathe because of the smell of pig excrement. Given that the deceased worked there for more than a decade, the potential link between his death and the poor working conditions should be thoroughly investigated,” Kim said.
The police, the labour ministry and other related organisations are currently examining the farm’s work environment, while looking to determine whether the worker had been subjected to mistreatment.