Today's Korea Times wrote following:

Warehouse Fire Highlights Plight of Foreign Workers

Life as a foreign worker in Korea is not easy. The victims of a fire in warehouse in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, returned social attention to the country's immigrant workers, many of whom lead hard lives.

Last February, a fire at the Yeosu Immigration Office killed 10 and injured 17 foreign nationals, and now another tragedy has shown that foreign workers are still exposed to safety accidents ― among the 40 victims this time, 14 were foreign nationals, mostly ethnic Korean Chinese.

To some people, being ethnic Korean Chinese is a big opportunity to work in Korea and make enough money to live well back in China. However, what awaits them here are jobs as dish washers at restaurants for women and daily construction work for men.

Most of them are paid less than their Korean coworkers. Also, many workplaces do not provide the obligatory national health insurance, taking away their ``right to be treated when sick.''

``Most of the so-called 3D ― dirty, dangerous and difficult ― jobs are done by foreign workers, especially Chinese nationals. This tragedy, however, proves that they are exposed to danger without proper safety facilities,'' Rev. Kim Hae-sung of the Migrant Workers' House, said. Kim formed a special team to handle identification of the victims and compensation.

Still, the workers face other discriminatory practices.

Experts assume that any compensation paid will be also different from that for Korean victims. While the bereaved families of the Korean deceased are entitled to a pension from the Korea Labor Welfare Corporation, the foreign victims will be paid a lump-sum settlement, but even that amount is expected to be less than that which Koreans receive. When the foreign nationals are working illegally, it may become even more complicated to get compensation.

According to Kim, even holding a funeral is not easy. Most families in China may have difficulty in getting visas to come to Korea, he said. In the immigration arson case, the families were given special visas for the funeral, but whether this will happen again is unclear.

``We must remember that they were people who dared to do things we didn't. They will always be victims unless we come up with a better system to protect them and treat them when disaster strikes,'' Kim said.


Today's Korea Herald's article about the same issue you can read here: Korean dream dies in blaze.


And y'day's Chosun Ilbo wrote that..
..Icheon Blaze Warehouse ‘Ignored Safety Rules’


Well, in fact especially Chosun Ilbo's (surprise, surprise!!) article proves that..


..CAPITALISM KILLS!!