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President Lee calls for stronger protections for night shift workers

Published: 12 Dec. 2025, 11:48

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

President Lee Jae Myung listens to ministry officials at a policy briefing at Sejong on Dec. 12. [YONHAP]

President Lee Jae Myung called for stronger legal protections for night shift workers, citing the death of his sister, who died while working, as an example of what he said was a "cruel outcome."

"[My] younger sister died in a bathroom in the early morning while working. We filed an application requesting that [her death] be recognized as an industrial accident, but it was denied, and we lost the lawsuit," Lee said at the policy briefing by the Ministry of Employment and Labor in Sejong on Thursday.

"For those affected, it's a cruel outcome," he said. Lee wrote in his 2017 book that his sister died from internal bleeding while working as a cleaner in 2014, though reports of her time of death differ.

Lee relayed the anecdote while discussing what he described as "strict" standards for recognizing industrial accidents. He singled out Coupang as an example of harsh working environments. At least three overnight workers died at the e-commerce giant's worksites this year.

Lee said the "50 premium" — a statutory 50 percent wage premium for night shifts between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. — underscored how punishing the hours were. "There are even calls to ban it," he said.

“[The work at Coupang] is a new form of labor, and it seems new regulatory approaches are needed," he added.

Most recently, an employee who worked overnight shifts at Coupang died at the company's logistics center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, in November. The case drew heavy criticism after the firm, without waiting for an official police report, stated the employee died from a chronic illness, prompting accusations that the firm was trying to deflect responsibility.

“People who lack power and resources often work in dangerous environments. Please make sure they receive special protection," Lee said, addressing the head of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service.

Lee's administration has promised a crackdown on industrial accidents, introducing heavier fines and potential removal from industry registration with the aim of reducing Korea’s fatal accident rate from 0.39 per 10,000 workers to the OECD average of 0.29 by 2030.

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]