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Company head accused of air gun 'prank' injury under police investigation

Published: 08 Apr. 2026, 13:10 Updated: 08 Apr. 2026, 17:17

The head of a plating plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, reenacts the moment of discharging an air gun at a foreign worker in a JTBC News report on April 7. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A company head who injured a foreign worker by discharging an air gun said it was a “prank” and has since been booked by police and placed under a travel ban, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency’s regional investigation unit said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on Feb. 20 at a plating plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, where a Thai worker was allegedly shot with high-pressure air from an air gun in the anus by their boss.

The worker was reportedly taken to a hospital the same day and underwent emergency surgery for rectal damage. They still remain under treatment at a hospital.

“I couldn’t breathe, my body stiffened, and there was a lot of bleeding from the anus” and “I thought I was going to die,” the worker told local news outlet JTBC on Tuesday.

The perpetrator responded in the same report, stating that they had fired the gun while working together and "joking around."

They also denied the victim's claims that they urged the worker to return to their home country instead of receiving hospital treatment.

The injured worker is reported to have entered Korea around 2011 under the Employment Permit System, E-9 visa, and worked in the country for nine years, but their visa has expired.

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered all relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and take strict action involving the case, stating that “violence against the socially vulnerable is a serious crime.”

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the 14th Cabinet meeting and the fourth emergency economic review meeting held at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on April 6. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency formed an investigation team dedicated to the case Wednesday. It plans to summon the company head soon to investigate intent and the specific circumstances of the incident.

Police will also conduct a joint on-site investigation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and provide psychological counseling and support for the worker’s medical expenses.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched an on-site inspection of the workplace to examine potential violations of labor laws, including assault against foreign workers, workplace harassment and unpaid wages, as well as possible breaches of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

The Ministry of Justice said it will confirm the damage through an investigation by its task force on immigrant rights protection and provide support such as stable residency status for the worker, while also investigating whether the company representative violated the Immigration Act, including illegal employment.

The Justice Ministry said it will set up its own investigative task force to examine violations of immigrant rights and the Immigration Act, including illegal employment. It also plans to provide support for the worker, such as a stable residency status.

“Violence and discrimination against migrant workers are serious crimes that can never be tolerated,” Lee said. “Migrant workers are partners in building our future together and individuals whose dignity must be protected. Such barbaric human rights violations is an act of harming the future of society and require a firm response.”

BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]