Warrant issued for Incheon factory owner accused of assaulting Bangladeshi workers
Published: 02 Jun. 2026, 15:10
Updated: 02 Jun. 2026, 15:15
A textile factory owner in Incheon accused of repeatedly assaulting migrant workers from Bangladesh faces possible incarceration.
A detention warrant was sought for the head of the textile manufacturer under the Labor Standards Act on charges of assaulting workers and property damage, the Incheon Bukbu branch of the Jungbu Regional Employment and Labor Office and the Incheon Seobu Police Precinct said Tuesday.
The factory owner allegedly assaulted four Bangladeshi workers seven times between March 2023 and April this year at a textile factory in Gajwa-dong, Seo District, Incheon, and other locations.
The case drew public anger in April when a video of the owner assaulting one of the workers surfaced through news reports. The footage showed the owner slapping the worker's face and grabbing him by the hair.
"Whether or not we made a mistake at work, he would often kick us or grab us by the collar," one worker told the JoongAng Ilbo.
![The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/06/02/a01f46f7-3597-490c-9f53-3128254282d5.jpg)
"He looked down on us, saying things like 'Do you even have schools in Bangladesh?' and 'Does your country even have air conditioning?' and he insulted our parents back home."
In investigating the case, labor authorities applied the charge of assaulting a worker, which carries a heavier penalty of up to five years in prison, rather than ordinary assault, which carries a maximum of two years. They added further charges after concluding that the owner had insulted the workers and damaged factory property during the assaults.
"The owner admitted to some of the charges during questioning," an official at the Incheon Bukbu branch said. "We sought a detention warrant given that the crimes were committed against migrant workers, who are members of a socially vulnerable group, and prosecutors applied for the warrant today."
A pretrial detention hearing for the owner is set for Thursday at the Incheon District Court.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BYUN MIN-CHUL [[email protected]]
A detention warrant was sought for the head of the textile manufacturer under the Labor Standards Act on charges of assaulting workers and property damage, the Incheon Bukbu branch of the Jungbu Regional Employment and Labor Office and the Incheon Seobu Police Precinct said Tuesday.
The factory owner allegedly assaulted four Bangladeshi workers seven times between March 2023 and April this year at a textile factory in Gajwa-dong, Seo District, Incheon, and other locations.
The case drew public anger in April when a video of the owner assaulting one of the workers surfaced through news reports. The footage showed the owner slapping the worker's face and grabbing him by the hair.
"Whether or not we made a mistake at work, he would often kick us or grab us by the collar," one worker told the JoongAng Ilbo.
The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency [YONHAP]
In investigating the case, labor authorities applied the charge of assaulting a worker, which carries a heavier penalty of up to five years in prison, rather than ordinary assault, which carries a maximum of two years. They added further charges after concluding that the owner had insulted the workers and damaged factory property during the assaults.
"The owner admitted to some of the charges during questioning," an official at the Incheon Bukbu branch said. "We sought a detention warrant given that the crimes were committed against migrant workers, who are members of a socially vulnerable group, and prosecutors applied for the warrant today."
A pretrial detention hearing for the owner is set for Thursday at the Incheon District Court.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BYUN MIN-CHUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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