Kim Gwang-yong (fifth from right), head of the Ministry of Interior and Safety's National Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, inspects working conditions at a green onion greenhouse in Yesan-gun, South Chungcheong Province, on Sunday, checking whether foreign workers are following heat-wave safety protocols. [Ministry of Interior and Safety]
Kim Gwang-yong (fifth from right), head of the Ministry of Interior and Safety's National Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, inspects working conditions at a green onion greenhouse in Yesan-gun, South Chungcheong Province, on Sunday, checking whether foreign workers are following heat-wave safety protocols. [Ministry of Interior and Safety]

The Ministry of Interior and Safety visited Yesan-gun, South Chungcheong Province, on Sunday to inspect the working conditions of foreign seasonal agricultural workers and assess heat-related livestock losses, the ministry said.

The inspection was prompted by a series of deaths among foreign workers laboring in extreme heat — incidents that occurred recently in Haenam-gun, South Jeolla Province, and Hongseong-gun, South Chungcheong Province.

Foreign workers are particularly vulnerable to falling into "safety blind spots" because language barriers leave many unaware of public heat-wave guidelines and their entitlement to rest breaks. Officials used the visit to verify working environments and confirm that mandatory rest periods were being observed.

Kim Gwang-yong, head of the ministry's National Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, led the inspection and urged farm managers to strictly follow the three core heat-wave principles — water, shade and rest — and to enforce prescribed response measures whenever a major heat-wave alert is issued, so that foreign seasonal workers are not exposed to heat-related illness.

Kim also delivered booklets on heat illness prevention printed in 18 languages corresponding to workers' home countries, along with cooling supplies, and asked recipients to share the information actively with their colleagues.

Kim then visited a pig farm vulnerable to extreme heat, assessed livestock damage and checked the operation of ventilation and cooling systems inside the facility.

"What matters most amid the relentless heat is the lives and safety of workers in the field," Kim said. "Farm owners and local government officials must manage conditions thoroughly so that all agricultural workers — including foreign seasonal workers — can avoid working during the hottest hours of the day and get adequate rest."


thlee@heraldcorp.com