Semafor Signals: Global insights on today’s biggest stories.
Workplace safety in South Korea remains low despite efforts
Financial Times, Korea Economic Institute of America
South Korea remains one of the countries with the highest industrial death rates in the world, the Financial Times wrote, with over 600 reported fatal incidents in 2023. Leading companies like Samsung and Hyundai have faced disputes over their health and safety measures. The government has made efforts to improve safety, with the passing of a law in 2021 that holds company executives accountable for deaths caused by lax enforcement of safety rules, leading to potential fines that could reach $800,000 or imprisonment for up to a year.
South Korea increasingly relies on migrant labor
Associated Press, The New York Times
South Korea has become a top destination for job-seeking Chinese nationals in the past few decades, the Associated Press wrote, who often take up…
