[26.04.01] Jeonju Paper Worker Death Recognized as Industrial Accident After 21 Months Amid Toxic Gas and Safety Concerns

Industrial Accident Recognized after 21 Months…Death of 19-year-old Worker at Jeonju Paper Finally Acknowledged

📍 Recognized as work-related amid toxic gas and safety failures…Calls grow for accountability and prevention

The death of a 19-year-old worker at a Jeonju Paper factory has been officially recognized as an industrial accident 21 months after the incident. Authorities concluded that multiple workplace hazards, including toxic gas exposure and insufficient safety management, contributed to the death. The ruling reverses earlier claims suggesting a personal medical cause. Labor groups and the bereaved family welcomed the decision but stressed the need for accountability and preventive measures.

🔹 Young trainee found collapsed while working alone

The victim, Park Jung-hyun, had been a vocational high school student dispatched for field training to the Jeonju Paper plant in November 2023. He later joined the production team as a full-time employee.

On the morning of June 16, 2024, about six months after starting work, Park was found in cardiac arrest while performing pipeline inspection duties alone. He was transported to a hospital but did not survive. It was later revealed that the “two-person work rule” had not been followed at the time of the incident.

🔹 Hydrogen sulfide detected…hazardous working conditions

Investigations found that hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a highly toxic gas, exceeded measurable limits at the site during the incident. Exposure to high concentrations of this gas can cause respiratory failure and loss of consciousness.

Labor groups argued that the work was carried out without sufficient protective equipment or safety measures. They also pointed to long working hours and high labor intensity as contributing risk factors.

🔹 Company’s “personal illness” claim overturned

The company had previously attributed the death to a personal medical condition, denying responsibility for an industrial accident. However, the recent ruling acknowledged a significant causal relationship between the work environment and the death, effectively overturning the company’s stance.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Jeonbuk Branch criticized the company, stating that it attempted to downplay and conceal the true cause of the accident.

🔹 21-month delay…family calls it “minimum starting point”

The lengthy delay in recognizing the accident as work-related caused significant distress for the victim’s family. They had demanded a sincere apology and official recognition, even staging hunger strikes.

Although the company later issued an apology and reached a partial settlement, the family maintained that industrial accident recognition was the minimum starting point for restoring the victim’s dignity and preventing recurrence.

🔹 Labor groups: “This is just the beginning”

Labor organizations emphasized that the approval marks only the beginning of the process.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Jeonbuk branch called for an official apology from Jeonju Paper, punishment of responsible parties, acknowledgment of initial response failures by authorities, and effective safety reforms.

They stated, “Recognition of an industrial accident is not the end, but the start. The truth must be fully uncovered, and accountability must follow.”

One-line summary : The death of a 19-year-old worker at Jeonju Paper was recognized as an industrial accident after 21 months, prompting calls for accountability and prevention.