A tragic incident at the Aricell lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, South Korea, has left 23 workers dead, including 17 Chinese workers and one Laotian. Among the victims was Bie Limei, a 37-year-old worker who texted her mother daily on her way to and from work, but on June 24, her mother did not receive her usual text.
The deadly fire has shed light on the lack of protection for migrant workers in South Korea, where the population is aging, and the demand for foreign labor is increasing. While the country has seen a decline in industrial accidents over the years, the proportion of foreigners among the deaths has been rising.
Bie’s mother, Ju Haiyu, an ethnic Korean resident of China, arrived in South Korea with her daughter in 2014 in search of better job opportunities. Her daughter had only been working at Aricell for about a month before the accident occurred. The fire broke out while workers were assembling and packaging batteries, many of whom were temporary workers not directly hired by the company.
Despite claims by the company that safety training was provided and emergency manuals were available, victims’ families and colleagues have raised concerns about blocked escape routes and lack of proper training. The incident has prompted calls for stronger safety measures and support for industries that hire foreign workers.
As the investigation into the fire continues, migrant workers like Bie Limei are remembered by their families and colleagues as individuals who came to South Korea not to die, but to contribute to society and provide for their loved ones.
