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President Lee Jae-myung questions SPC Group Chairman Hur Young-in about labor conditions during a meeting on industrial accident prevention at the SPC Samlip plant in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, on July 25. / Source: Yonhap News

SPC Group announced new measures to limit overtime just two days after President Lee Jae-myung visited one of its accident-prone factories and condemned the harsh working conditions and repeated industrial fatalities. The Ministry of Employment and Labor also launched efforts to strengthen protections for migrant workers following public outrage over a recent abuse case.

On July 27, SPC Group said it would cap overtime shifts for production workers at eight hours and gradually reduce daytime working hours, while minimizing night shifts. The measures are scheduled to take effect in October.

This comes two days after President Lee visited the SPC Samlip factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province—where multiple fatal accidents had occurred—and harshly criticized the company. “A monthly wage of 3 million won cannot be the price of a life,” he said.

In May, a worker died after being caught in a sauce mixer at the same factory during a 3 a.m. shift. A similar accident occurred there in 2022. President Lee also pointed out the danger of late-night work, saying, “With such intense labor, I imagine it must be hard to stay awake during the night.”

The government is ramping up enforcement. On July 24, the labor ministry conducted a raid on POSCO’s Gwangyang steel plant, where three workers had fallen 20 meters during dismantling work on July 14. One of them died.

President Lee commented at a senior aides meeting on July 17, “It’s hard to believe such accidents still happen. We must investigate thoroughly and hold those responsible if safety measures were lacking.” 

The government also moved quickly on labor rights following the emergence of disturbing footage on July 24. The video, taken at a brick factory in Naju, South Jeolla Province, showed a Sri Lankan migrant worker bound in plastic and hanging from a forklift.

Calling the act “unacceptable violence against a vulnerable minority and a clear violation of human rights,” President Lee pledged to take stern action. In response, the Ministry of Labor has begun reviewing and improving policies to protect migrant workers.